And Harmony Abound: The Musical Life of Morley Calvert 9780228009702

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And Harmony Abound

And Harmony Abound The Musical Life of Morley Calvert

Kei th Wi l l i am K i n d e r

McGill-Queen’s University Press Montreal & Kingston • London • Chicago

© McGill-Queen’s University Press 2022

ISBN 978-0-2280-0848-4 (cloth) ISBN 978-0-2280-0849-1 (paper) ISBN 978-0-2280-0970-2 (ePDF) Legal deposit first quarter 2022 Bibliothèque nationale du Québec Printed in Canada on acid-free paper that is 100% ancient forest free (100% post-consumer recycled), processed chlorine free

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Title: And harmony abound : the musical life of Morley Calvert / Keith William Kinder Names: Kinder, Keith William, author. Description: Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20210332751 | Canadiana (ebook) 2021033276X | ISBN 9780228008484 (hardcover) | ISBN  9780228008491 (softcover) | ISBN 9780228009702 (PDF) Subjects: LCSH : Calvert, Morley, 1928-1991. | LCSH : Composers—Canada—Biography. Classification: LCC ML 410.C 283 K 52 2022 | DDC 780.92—dc23

Set in 10.5/13.5 Warnock Pro with Bitstream Futura Book design & typesetting by Garet Markvoort, zijn digital

Then let the voices of all men in unison resound. Goals of living be pronounced and harmony abound. – Dolores Pitcher and Morley Calvert, 1979

Contents Acknowledgments

ix

Figures follow page

x

Introduction: Hymn Tunes, Folk Songs, and Beyond 3

Part I

MuSIC SetS uS Free: a LIFe IN MuSIC

15

1 Early Life: “Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty” 17 2 Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer: 1950s 3 Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer: 1960–1972 81 4 The Barrie Band: 1972–1985 5 Retirement: 1986–1991

150

205

Postscript

232

Part II

CataLoguINg a LIFe IN MuSIC

List of Musical Examples Notes

277

Bibliography Index

321

315

271

241

34

Acknowledgments No project of this scope is possible without the assistance of many individuals and institutions. First and foremost, I offer my deepest appreciation and admiration to the members of Morley Calvert’s family: Grace, Eric, and Lianne; Olga and Christine; Florence; and Margaret. This project would have been impossible without their extraordinary co-operation, but perhaps more important than their collaboration was their willingness to revisit difficult and often painful memories, which they did with remarkable courage and clarity. No words can adequately express the extent of my debt to them for their unconditional generosity, or my esteem for their bravery, but I hope this book may go some distance toward balancing the ledger. I also acknowledge their munificence in establishing a Morley Calvert Research Collection at McMaster University, which immeasurably facilitated my work. Calvert’s friends and associates also provided invaluable assistance: Lisa Perry of Barrie; David Buckley, Nora Gaskin, and Graham Young of Hamilton; Lloyd Hiscock and Carl Merkel of Ottawa; Art Brewer of Toronto; Dr Joan Russell of Vancouver; and Brian Ring of Woodstock. The King Edward Choir and Barrie Central Collegiate opened their archives to me, and Salvation Army Headquarters, Toronto, and John Carew and Craig Lewis went beyond the call of duty to locate obscure items. Salvationist Publishing and Supplies Ltd, London, UK, also assisted with difficult-to-find materials, and Winwood Publishing provided a copy of the virtually unknown full score of Calvert’s Two Canadian Christmas Carols. My research assistants, Matthew Timmermans at McGill University and Laura McNabb at McMaster University, willingly took on the tedious work of scouring newspaper archives in search of scant mentions of Calvert and the institutions with which he was associated. I am

x

Acknowledgments

deeply grateful to them both for their discoveries and their thorough attention to detail. My thanks also go to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of the Government of Canada, who awarded me a timely, and much appreciated, research grant that provided funding for my research assistants and for disseminating the findings. I must also express my appreciation to McGill-Queen’s University Press and acquisitions editor Jonathan Crago for their interest and support of this project. Mr Crago was unflagging in his encouragement and provided excellent advice all through the publication process. And last, but by no means least, I thank my wife, Susan Smith, for her unwavering support, encouragement, and love.

Morley Calvert as Jack Point in The Yeomen of the Guard, West Hill High School, Montreal, 1945. All photographs are from the private collection of the Calvert family.

McGill University Redmen Marching Band with conductor Morley Calvert (right, front row), 1951. (opposite, top) Gifford Mitchell (left), music supervisor of the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal, presents the Rotary Club Trophy for the best band performance in the Ottawa Music Festival to Morley Calvert (centre), conductor, with R.O. Bartlett (right), principal of Westmount Junior/Senior High School, looking on, 1958. (opposite, bottom) Norman Audoire (right), retiring bandmaster of the Montreal Citadel Band, passes the baton to his successor, Morley Calvert (left), with Commissioner Wycliffe Booth (centre), territorial commander of the Salvation Army, looking on, 1960.

Westmount High School Band, Morley Calvert, conductor, performs in the Ottawa Music Festival, 1961. Morley Calvert (centre, left) and other Salvationists with Dr Donald Hunsberger (centre, right), conductor of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY, 1969.

Morley Calvert in the band room at Barrie Central Collegiate, 1970s. Of note is the profusion of framed first-place certificates covering the walls. Morley Calvert with the first-place certificate won by the Barrie Central Band at the Kerkrade Music Festival, Holland, 1978. Courtesy of Lisa Perry, Barry Central Collegiate Archive.

Barrie Central Collegiate Band with Morley Calvert (centre, front row), conductor, 1981. Courtesy of Lisa Perry, Barry Central Collegiate Archive. Calvert (right) and his sister, Margaret (Calvert) Epps (left), with their parents, Fred and Margaret, at their sixtieth wedding anniversary, Montreal, 1986.

Sketch for an orchestral setting of Chanson Melancolique from Suite from the Monteregian Hills with scoring cues for violin, cello, and bass. Calvert apparently intended to expand the texture with additional contrapuntal lines and reorder some elements.

And Harmony Abound

Introduction: Hymn Tunes, Folk Songs, and Beyond Why Morley Calvert? Like thousands of other brass players, my introduction to Morley Calvert was through a performance of his brass quintet, Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Subsequently, I heard, performed, and conducted a number of his other compositions and developed substantial admiration for the music, but I had not considered undertaking a scholarly review of his life and career. However, in July 2003, I presented a paper on Canadian wind band music at the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (waSBe ) Conference in Jönköping, Sweden. During my presentation, I discussed the brass band version of Calvert’s Canadian Folk Song Suite and mentioned that a fine concert band version also existed but was not available from any legal source. A Swedish military musician informed me that his band had a copy and performed it regularly. I was aware that this version was known and performed by concert band conductors in Canada (including myself ) and had, in fact, been recorded,1 but how an unpublished Canadian band work had found its way to Sweden seemed amazing to me. I knew that Eighth Note Publications, Markham, Ontario, would be interested in publishing this work if they could secure copyright. I contacted Calvert’s copyright holder, his son Eric, recommending that it be published since it was being performed frequently in Canada and abroad using mostly illegal copies.2 David Marlatt, president of Eighth Note, and I visited Eric Calvert at his home in Ottawa and secured copyright permission – and also found that Eric had several other unpublished manuscripts. Since that time, Eighth Note Publications has printed many of these works, and they are receiving performances nationally and internationally. In Ottawa, I was also surprised at the extent of the

4

And Harmony Abound

preserved Calvert archives in the possession of his family and realized that a scholarly investigation of Calvert and his works was possible and long overdue. Published resource material pertaining to the composer was (and is) very limited,3 but when I began interviewing his family and friends, I was astonished by the scope of his activities in many fields of endeavour, most of which were not documented anywhere. His work within the Salvation Army and his compositions for brass instruments were reasonably well known, but Calvert’s accomplishments reached far beyond these activities and deserved to be acknowledged. Thus, this project was born. While a substantial number of outstanding publications by Canadianist researchers in music have appeared over the past several decades, many important individuals, organizations, and events remain unrecorded. The purpose of this book is to rescue one such individual from potential obscurity and to ensure that his contributions to Canada as composer, conductor, and educator will be remembered. Calvert is one of those individuals, Canadian and otherwise, who are well known within certain groups but little known outside of them. He made his living teaching music in the schools, where he ran awardwinning music programs in Montreal, Quebec, and Barrie, Ontario, and, like many of his colleagues, was an active community musician wherever he lived. However, Calvert was anything but an “ordinary” school music teacher. He performed professionally on trumpet (cornet) and piano in Montreal in the 1950s, including a brief time as Maureen Forrester’s accompanist when she was launching her splendid international career. But what most set him apart from his peers was his commitment to composition. He wrote some ninety works during his lifetime and sketched a great many more. In fact, he may be the most frequently performed Canadian composer outside the country. His extraordinarily popular brass quintet, Suite from the Monteregian Hills, is performed hundreds of times every year in the Americas, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.4 The work’s remarkable blend of musical quality and limited technical demands has made it a frequent choice of quintets at a variety of levels of proficiency, from professional to university-level and, in some cases, even advanced high-school performers. A study of brass quintet performances in 1979 listed Calvert’s work in eighth place in terms of frequency of performance internationally. When advised about this, he laughingly remarked that of the eight composers at the top of the list, which included Johann Sebastian Bach,

Introduction

5

Victor Ewald, and Johann Pezel, among others, he was the only one still living.5 In 1986, an article in the Barrie Banner observed: “You are apt to hear his work anywhere in the world (a friend did, on the radio in a Shanghai hotel room)”6 – the statement is equally true today. Along with this quintet, Calvert’s early works, written for Salvation Army brass bands and choirs, gave him a worldwide audience, an opportunity available to few Canadian composers. In August 1960, Louis Applebaum, with the support of the Canadian League of Composers and the Stratford Festival, organized an International Conference of Composers (ICC ) in Stratford, Ontario, which attracted composers from thirty-five countries. The effect of this event was summarized by Alfred Frankenstein, the music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle: “In 30 years’ activity as a music critic for U.S. newspapers, the only Canadian composer I had ever heard of was Healey Willan … That there was a Canadian League of Composers was completely news to me … and that these composers practice all manner of styles and media was an even more striking revelation … In short, this festival … put Canada on the map musically … I have no doubt [that] Canadian orchestral and chamber music will figure more and more prominently on international programmes and Canadian music take its proper place in the international scheme of things.”7 Both Pitman8 and Proctor9 believe this conference won immeasurable recognition for Canadian composers nationally and internationally. However, in 1968, gifted soprano Mary Morrison, under the auspices of the Canada Council, visited contemporary music festivals in Sweden, Poland, Germany, France, and Austria, and was shocked that virtually no one at these festivals knew anything about Canadian music or Canadian composers.10 Apparently, the impact of the ICC was not as comprehensive as believed, at least internationally. Another long-standing challenge for Canadian composers was (and is) the difficulty of acquainting audiences with contemporary sounds and techniques. Commissioning ensembles premiere new works, but subsequent performances are often few and far between, preventing listeners from learning to appreciate new idioms. Sir Ernest MacMillan raised this issue in his MacMillan-CaPaC lectures in 1964. He expressed the view that “every reasonable encouragement [must be given] to our younger composers” and “anything that has to stand its chance with the public on the strength of one or two performances labours under a serious disadvantage.” He believed that recordings would be

6

And Harmony Abound

an effective means through which listeners could come to know and appreciate complex new works,11 although few recordings of Canadian serious music existed at the time. Subsequently, Harry Freedman, as president of the Canadian League of Composers in the mid-1970s, tried to persuade granting agencies such as the Canada Council and the provincial arts councils to initiate programs to support second and third performances.12 A decade later, highly respected Canadian composer John Weinzweig observed that little had changed,13 and this situation persists today. Conversely, by the mid-1950s, Calvert’s music for brass was being played repeatedly wherever the Salvation Army was active, and several of these compositions (My All Is on the Altar, For Our Transgressions, and Canadian Folk Song Suite) very quickly developed enthusiasts well beyond their original audiences. He also had international success in non–Salvation Army music. Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, a purely secular and widely performed brass band work, like Suite from the Monteregian Hills, was promptly accepted into the core repertoire and has been superbly recorded by the Black Dyke Mills Band. Calvert’s compositional oeuvre encompasses many genres but overall is characterized by one common element: very little of his music was composed “on spec”; virtually all was written for a particular event, group, or purpose. Above all, Calvert was a practical musician. He composed for his own groups, for ensembles with which he was associated, or on commission. Although these constrictions limited what he could create, he demonstrated a great deal of imagination in writing within them. Probably because of this practicality, Calvert’s harmonic practice remained largely within the confines of tonality, although he stretched the boundaries of the tonal system into the “expanded tonality” of the twentieth century, which incorporates non-functional harmonies, modality, polytonality, quartal/quintal sonorities, added-note chords, and trichords and tetrachords of varying intensity of dissonance within a broad-based tonal structure. This approach variously has been dubbed “neo-tonality,”14 “New Classicism,”15 “New Romanticism,”16 or “non-functional diatonicism” 17 by twentieth-century writers. Calvert was in good company in adopting this practice. In Music of the Twentieth Century: Style and Structure, Bryan Simms asserts that “by far the majority of [twentieth-century] composers have maintained familiar chords in their harmonic vocabulary, even though their customary

Introduction

7

diatonic functions have often been ignored or reinterpreted.”18 Espousing this procedure likely restricted Calvert from being taken seriously as a composer, outside of the limited venues of brass or band music. For example, in 1989, on the initiative of trumpeter and orchestra manager Graham Young, Symphony Hamilton, the community orchestra in Hamilton, Ontario, applied for a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to commission an orchestral suite from Calvert. Unfortunately, the application was not funded, apparently, according to Young, because of the conservative style of the composer.19 While it is understandable that the Ontario Arts Council would wish to support composers at the leading edge of music in Ontario, Calvert would have produced a work that was playable and attractive to community or university orchestras in Canada, who are in need of quality Canadian compositions, a state of affairs that should certainly be of concern to funding agencies such as the Ontario Arts Council.20 Calvert’s approach to composition is difficult to determine. When asked, his family and friends could only comment that he was always considering ideas for new compositions and composing in his head. Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor reported that when he was employed at Montreal’s Lindsay Place High School and could walk to and from work, he would develop ideas for new compositions while walking and then try them out at the piano when he arrived home.21 Extant sketches show that he did, indeed, work out his ideas at the piano. When he arranged his setting of the Canadian Christmas carol “Jesous Ahatonhia” for orchestra, he wrote out the whole piece for piano, then added orchestrational cues, even though the settings for brass band and brass ensemble already existed. He followed the same procedure when preparing an orchestral edition of Chanson Mélancolique from the aforementioned Suite from the Monteregian Hills, which, unfortunately, was never completed. Another sketch that provides some insight is titled Fantasia on “__________.” The tune involved is the old Dutch song, Wilt heden nu treden, which is known in North America as Hymn of Thanksgiving (We Gather Together). Calvert probably left the blank in his title intending to confirm the Dutch title, but never returned to the composition. The sketch shows the tune and several variations, including a new melody based on motives from the tune; a transposed, inverted statement in minor mode, as well as plans for another minor version; a statement in retrograde; and the new melody and the original tune in counterpoint.

8

And Harmony Abound

j j j 3 œ & 4 œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œj œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ™ J œ œ™ œ œ ˙ Melody

œ

j j j j & œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ™ œj ˙ Œ j j j œ j œ œ ™ & œ œ™ œ ˙ œ œ œ œœ œœ ##œœ n˙˙˙ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ ˙™ ˙ # j j j œ & œ™ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ J œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ ˙ Œ New melody

&

# #

j j j j œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ™ œj œ œ™ œ œ

Inversion

Ó

j œ ™ œj œ œ œ œ ™ œj œ œ œ œ œ ™ œj œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ # œ™ œ œ œ˙ ˙ œ ˙ Œ œœ œ ˙˙ # œœ œœ ˙ j # ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ œ ˙ Œ œ™ & œ œ # # œ œœ œ œ ˙˙ Œ # ˙˙ ˙™

&

&

#

˙Ó

œ™ œ ™ j œ œœ J œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œœ

Countermelody (2nd verse)

# & œJ œ œ œJ

∑ etc.

∑ 98 œ œœœœœ œœœœœ œ œ

lush minor inverted

∑

∑

Retrograde with (3rd verse) melody with opening theme, acc (4th verse)

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑ ∑

I.1 Fantasia on “__________”

A countermelody is roughly sketched out and further notes indicate plans for a version in triple meter. A few chords appear here and there, and some bars are in four-part harmony. This sketch demonstrates Calvert’s process when developing a theme into a complete, musically integrated composition.

Introduction

9

Analysis of Calvert’s compositions does reveal certain “fingerprints” or favourite procedures. His approach to expanded tonality involved various forms of seventh and added-note chords. Minor and major sevenths abound throughout his works, and while he employed both types of diminished seventh, like Wagner, he preferred the half-diminished sonority.22 He frequently extended sevenths to ninths and elevenths, which appeared even as cadential chords. In his later compositions, ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths were often voiced as whole-tone clusters. Even from his earliest works, added seconds, fourths, and sixths are common. A particularly favoured sonority was the major chord with added second and sixth.23 On occasion, he sharpened the dissonance. In Selection: In His Name (1949) he frequently added sharp fourths to specific chords to emphasize the tritone, which was prominent in the work’s opening motive. While sections of functional diatonic harmony do appear and tonal structures underlie most of his works, Calvert’s affinity for added-note chords and non-functional progressions led the music away from strict tonality, usually quite quickly. His most advanced harmony appears in works that do not employ preexisting material, and as will be seen, several of these works approach atonality. For example, his brass quintet An Occasional Suite (1967) appears to have been conceived linearly rather than harmonically with the result that chords adhere to no tertian or other recognized structure, but the music freely mixes near-clusters, trichords of various types, quartal and quintal sonorities, and polychords. However, even in these compositions he did not abandon key signatures, although often they seem to have little impact on the music. Since many of Calvert’s compositions were written for specific purposes or were commissioned, his melodic material was often prescribed – hymn tunes, folk songs, etc. His approach to the use of preexisting tunes was similar to Percy Grainger’s practice when setting folk songs. The melody was rarely altered, and variety was created by contrasting the accompaniment, which often includes references to the melody at each repeat of the tune, a procedure that has been called “accompaniment variation.” A particularly good example of this practice is the final movement of Canadian Folk Song Suite/Suite on Canadian Folk Songs,24 a theme with six variations where the complexity of the accompaniment increases with each variation and includes an interlude derived from the theme. In works using multiple tunes, Calvert often wrote extensive transitional sections or interludes based on

10

And Harmony Abound

œ œ™ œ b 6 œ œnœ œ œ œ œ & b bb 8 œ™ œ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œbœ œnœ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ mp

mf

b œ™ œ ™ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ nœ œ œ ™ œ bœ ™ œ & b bb œnœ b & b bb œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œbœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ p

I.2

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ

Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 2, bars 5–14

fragments drawn from the melodies employed. These transitions are usually cleverly designed by incorporating motives from both the previous and the upcoming tune, effecting a smooth passage from one to the next. Calvert, of course, was not unique in employing this procedure. Similarly constructed transitions can be found, for example, in the orchestral works of Healey Willan.25 Calvert was also certainly capable of writing fine original melodies. The expressive melody in the second movement of Three Dance Impressions is predominantly in F minor, but Calvert’s alternation of E-flat and E-natural also suggests C minor, setting up a bi-modal quality: when combined with the many falling fifths, it generates the melody’s gentle melancholy. The theme is comprised of a number of motives that offer substantial opportunity for development, and in fact, Calvert spins the melody out throughout the movement, never exactly repeating it – another factor in this music’s tender eloquence. Another of Calvert’s melodies that has bi-modal implications appears in his original setting of the hymn Jesus, Lover of My Soul. In this case, the melody is in F major with clear allusions to D minor. The turn to the minor enhances the expressivity of the music. The melody matches the words very well, and since this piece is a hymn setting where each verse is usually sung to the same tune, Calvert returned to the idea of accompaniment variation. The melody is never altered, but the accompaniment changes substantially for each verse. Calvert also wrote non-tonal melodies. The ground bass of the Passacaglia of An Occasional Suite, which is also the Elegy of Introduction,

Introduction

11

Slowly with much expression quasi recitative

B bbb 43 œ œ œ œ œ -œ œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj bœ bœ ™ œj . . . . mf

B bbb I.3

n˙

p

œ mf

œ

œ ™ bœj œ bœ œ ™

œ ˙ J

œ œ œ™

Occasional Suite, Passacaglia, bars 1–10

Elegy and Caprice,26 begins clearly in G minor. However, at bar 5, accidentals appear that turn the tune essentially atonal, and it ends on F, without a clear cadence, and a perfect fifth below the ensuing entry of the ground bass. The chromaticism incorporated into the tune ultimately includes ten separate pitches, virtually a twelve-tone row, and later generates counterpoint that cannot be analyzed in any key. Calvert was an accomplished contrapuntalist. While setting two separate melodies against each other occurs in some of his compositions, he more frequently created countermelodies using motives from the main tune (see example I.4). In his works based on folk songs, he wrote highly effective modal counterpoint. One of the most remarkable examples occurs in the second movement of Suite on Canadian Folk Songs. This passage is equally effective in both the brass and concert band versions, but the scoring for clarinets alone in the concert band setting renders it somewhat more dramatic. Generally, however, Calvert preferred chromatically inflected counterpoint. Examples of short chromatic inner lines abound throughout his music. The effect of these passages is to enrich the harmony and increase the internal momentum within the music as it moves toward climaxes and cadences. In his music using pre-existing melodic material, Calvert’s opportunities for rhythmic flexibility were somewhat circumscribed. However, he often increased the intensity of contrapuntal passages through rhythmic displacements and syncopation that generate suspensions and other on-the-beat dissonances. When composing all-original music, he did on occasion avail himself of asymmetrical and shifting meter. The final movement of the brass quintet Three Dance Impressions is in 5/8 meter with occasional excursions into other time

‰ Œ

12

And Harmony Abound

b 4 & b b 4 œ ™œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ ™œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ ˙™ mp Euphonium œ œ™œ w œ bœ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ nœ œ œ ? b 44 Œ Œ ∑ bb Cornet

p

b &b b œ œ

œ™œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙™ œ œ œ™œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ bœ ˙ œ ˙™ ? bb J Œ Œ ‰ b mp

b &b b œ œ œ

œ

œ -œ ™ œ œ œ ˙ ‰ J

?b Ó bb b &b b œ

œ

œ

? bb b

Œ

Ó

bœ I.4

œ™ œ œ œ œ œ

˙™

œ

˙

˙™

Œ

œ œ œ œ œ

œ™ œ

- - œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ n œ œ

Œ

œ œ ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ R ≈ ‰ Œ ‰ J

∑ Ó

Meditation, Near to the Cross, bars 15–31

signatures, the most unusual being 6+4/8. The climax of the last movement of An Occasional Suite and Introduction, Elegy and Caprice is comprised of alternating bars of 3/2 and 5/4 followed by a 7/4 bar, generating a moment of dramatic tension in the score. Although instances of such metric elasticity are rare in his music, Calvert’s incorporation

Introduction

13

of them has an effective, natural flow. For example, the 5/8 meter of the final movement of Three Dance Impressions with its note grouping that switches every bar, projects an affecting lilt that belies its asymmetry. Simple meter changes appear frequently even in his earliest music. Despite its individualisms, Calvert’s music falls squarely into the conservative stream of music in the twentieth century. He did not investigate serialism or tone rows,27 aleatory, graphic notation, or electronic sounds. None of his works are so-called “texture pieces,” compositions that have no or very little melody relying instead on motivic manipulation and shimmering contrasts of texture and timbre for musical movement and interest.28 Except for the few instances noted above, he made no use of rapidly shifting or asymmetrical meter. The composer certainly embraced this judgment; however, it probably meant that his contribution to Canadian musical culture has been largely discounted by scholars, even though his music has always been admired by performers and widely performed. Like Calvert, Jean Coulthard largely espoused a conservative approach, although early and late in her career she experimented with twelve-tone melodies and microtones. Her music was considered irrelevant by her colleagues in the theory and composition department at the University of British Columbia but was appreciated by performers who continued to commission new works practically up to her death. Ultimately, she wrote solo works for virtually all of the orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, and harp as well as a substantial amount of chamber music, mostly for specific performers.29 Nor is the issue of composers being ignored by scholars but valued by performers specific to Canada. For example, composers as prominent as Gustav Holst, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Samuel Barber receive scant attention in musicological research, yet their works are among the most frequently performed of all twentieth-century compositions. Calvert and Coulthard also embraced a similar aesthetic view. Calvert felt that “some people say that music should be of the age we live in. I want my music to make people feel better for having heard it.”30 Coulthard thought that “a composer’s musical language should be instinctive, personal, and natural to him, and not be forced in any way as to the specific style or technique of the moment.” She also believed that creative artists had responsibilities to their societies.31 Other Canadian composers, many of whom have adopted a more venturesome approach, fundamentally concur with this artistic credo. Robert Turner, who employed twelve-tone serialism, albeit using tone rows that retain

14

And Harmony Abound

tonal implications, indicated that he intended his music to be emotional in content and listener-oriented.32 Louis Applebaum strongly believed that the arts had an important societal responsibility and could influence everyone’s life toward beneficial ends.33 In a virtual reiteration of Calvert’s view, Peter Paul Koprowski has commented: “The listener is evermost in my mind. I write out of my own experience, yes, but I want people to find meaning for themselves. It is not a question of old and new. I write in the hope and belief that music is still to be enjoyed.”34 Calvert claimed that he started composing “to appreciate art from the composer’s point of view. I thought it would make me a better band master. Lo and behold, if people didn’t like it!”35 His early work for the Salvation Army probably led him toward a conservative approach to harmony, but it also developed his interest in chromaticisms. A large number of Salvation Army songs and hymns are chromatically inflected within an overall tonal structure. Composing for the Salvation Army awoke in Calvert the desire for expressivity and meaning. Since these works impart a spiritual message, his music combined deep reflection and intense emotion in rendering profound insights into divine concepts. Such lofty ideas and serious intent became his artistic aesthetic and imbue all his music, sacred and secular. He eloquently expressed these concepts in an interview in 1980: “Music should be something to elevate the soul. Some people say that music should be of the age we live in. I want my music to make people feel better for having heard it. I want them to feel that there is hope for the world.”36

PART ONE

Music Sets Us Free: A Life in Music

1 Early Life: “Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty” Morley Frederick Calvert was born 11 June 1928 in Brantford, Ontario. His father, Thomas Frederick (Fred) Calvert, was a life-long employee of the London Life Assurance Company and apparently was transferred to Montreal in 1930.1 However, within the family there is some uncertainty about the reason for the move. Fred Calvert may have been transferred by his company, or his mother and father, who were living in Montreal, may have found him the position. Nevertheless, Morley grew up and pursued much of his professional career in Montreal. Music came naturally to Calvert. His parents, Fred and Margaret (Leather) Calvert, were members of the Salvation Army and actively involved with the music that is a substantial part of the liturgy of their church. Fred was an outstanding euphonium player, and Margaret sang with the Songsters. However, music in the family had a longer history. Fred’s father (another Fred Calvert) was a noted musician who served for a time as the bandmaster of the Peterborough, and later, the Oshawa, Temple Corps.2 Morley was exceptionally talented, with perfect pitch and extraordinary musical memory. Like many Salvation Army boys, he began playing cornet at a young age – in his case, at age eight3 – and apparently progressed very quickly. A souvenir program of a performance given by the Montreal Citadel Band in November 1945 as part of the Diamond Jubilee of the Citadel in Meriden, Connecticut, includes a picture of the band that shows Morley on cornet and his father on euphonium. However, some members shown were still serving overseas, therefore the picture must date from 1939 or 1940, before they enlisted. Morley would have been only eleven or twelve at this time, and usually individuals had to be sixteen to be admitted to the senior band,4 although during the war, with a lot of members enlisting,

18

A Life in Music

these rules may have been relaxed somewhat. Morley’s playing must have been exceptional to have granted him entrance to this highly regarded ensemble. Calvert himself dated his admission into the band as being in 1942.5 Either way, his acceptance into this prominent band was unusually early. Calvert was pursuing music in another way as well. He had begun piano lessons with bandmaster Norman Audoire6 of the Montreal Citadel and completed a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LrSM ) on piano in June 1948.7 Calvert had one sibling, a sister Margaret, born 29 May 1933 in Guelph, Ontario. Guelph played an important role in both sides of Calvert’s family. Both his paternal and maternal ancestors settled there after arriving from England and considered the city to be their “ancestral home” in Canada. The Leather family, in particular, had a strong presence in Guelph when Morley and Margaret were growing up. They owned three houses in a row on Brockville Avenue, which ran from York Road, a major thoroughfare, to the Eramosa River. When the Calvert children visited, there were no fewer than sixteen cousins, many around the same age. Morley and Margaret remembered many enjoyable summer visits to Guelph during their early years. Apparently, they and their cousins roamed freely through the three adjacent houses, sleeping and eating wherever they happened to be at the appropriate times. Margaret recalled that they would plan their activities to be in whichever house was serving the “best lunch or dinner” on that particular day. Although the family was living in Montreal in 1933, when the birth of her daughter was imminent, Mrs Calvert went to Guelph to be with her mother and her two sisters. The Calvert clan welcomed three new arrivals that spring: Margaret’s birth in May was preceded by that of one cousin in April and followed by that of another in June.8 In late 1949, the Guelph Citadel held a Band Reunion weekend, and Morley and his father travelled from Montreal to take part.9 Morley could not have had any real association with the Guelph band, but his father probably played with them prior to moving to Montreal. Their participation in this event is another example of the enduring connection the Calvert family had with this small Ontario city.10 Calvert attended West Hill High School in Montreal, graduating in 1945.11 According to the school yearbook, he played in the school band (no surprise there!) from 1942 to 1945, but also participated in

“Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty ”

19

sports, particularly rugby and track and field.12 He played junior football in 1941 and set a school record (122 feet) for throwing the javelin in 1945. Already known as something of a joker, he drew cartoons and expressed the personal philosophy, “Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty.”13 However, probably the highlight of his high school career was his participation in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Yeomen of the Guard in April of his final year. The production was reviewed by the (Montreal) Gazette, which singled Calvert out for special praise: “Jack Point, whose part can carry or condemn The Yeoman [sic], was admirably played by Morley Calvert. His acting was first rate and adult; and if his singing was at about the level made traditional by the late Sir Henry Lytton,14 occasionally he rose to totally unexpected heights. This was notably the case in his duet with Shadbolt the gaoler and in the delightful quartet with Elsie, Fairfax and Phoebe.”15 As result of the success of the production, and Calvert’s role in it, he was given the nickname “Point” for the rest of his high school career.16 One of the conductors of this production was Calvert’s high school band director, Harrison Jones, with whom he maintained an association for some time after his graduation. According to a diary he kept during 1945–46, he assisted with West Hill’s production of H.M.S. Pinafore in the fall of 1945, even running rehearsals at Jones’s request.17 Participating in these productions probably sparked his life-long affection for Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.18 By the time he reached high school, Calvert had probably been participating in Salvation Army summer music camps for several years. He attended the camp at Jackson’s Point, Ontario, during the summer of 1944, but probably as a member of the support staff, not as a camper.19 His earliest extant composition, a piano piece titled Memories of Jackson’s Point, dated 2 August 1944, and dedicated to “Miss Catherine Watt,” was almost certainly written while he was at the camp. The dedicatee was probably either a camper or another member of the staff. Calvert apparently liked aspects of this music since he preserved the autograph while other early works seem to have been lost, and he referred to it rather fondly many years later.20 It also displays certain compositional elements that recur regularly in the composer’s music. Unfortunately, the extant score is missing the last page(s). The score (as it currently exists) is in two parts titled Prayers and Mid Day Memoires [sic]. The first section begins with a piquant upper/ lower neighbour figure moving through a dominant seventh to the

A Life in Music

b 4 & b b 4 œœ œœ œ œ

Moderato

Piano

Piano

{

? b 44 bb

p

œ

œ nœ˙˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ˙ ˙ sf n˙ ˙˙ ˙ ∏∏∏∏∏

20

4 ‰ j ‰bœj ‰ bœj ‰ j ‰ j ‰ j ‰ nœj ‰ j & 4 œœ œ bbœœ nœœ bœœ œœ b œ n œ nœ œ p œ œ b œ œ b œ œ bœ œ ? 44

{

accel. e cresc.

1.2

?

1.1 Memories of Jackson’s Point, bar 1

# œœ n# œœœ bœœ bn œœœ b ˙˙˙ ‰J‰ J‰ J‰ J œ bœ

œ bœ

sf

œ

U

U œœ œ Œ p

˙

Memories of Jackson’s Point, bars 25–28 (transition)

tonic (E-flat major). Similar on-the-beat dissonances appear frequently through this section, and in future works by Calvert. The melody that follows is diatonic, but the harmony includes unexpected and rather awkward chromaticism that is stabilized by frequent cadences to the tonic. This section modulates to C major in preparation for a remarkable transition that leads to Part II and incorporates two descending chromatic lines a major sixth apart, one in the bass, the other in an inner voice. The harmonization is unorthodox but surprisingly effective. Similar chromaticisms became virtually a compositional fingerprint throughout Calvert’s oeuvre. Part II (Mid Day Memoires) is a waltz whose main theme is a sequential descending scale. The harmony is more diatonic than in the previous section but is enhanced by secondary sevenths, suspensions, and short chromatic lines in inner parts. At one point, Calvert has all four lines moving by half-step, mostly in parallel, a technique he would employ in later works to amplify intensity or for programmatic effect. While Mid Day Memoires is extended to considerable length through repetition, near-repetition, and contrast, the score abruptly ends, making it impossible to determine how Calvert may have continued the work. Memories of Jackson’s Point has all the hallmarks of an inexperienced composer with awkward voice leading, suspect chord choices, and a rather static approach to rhythm. Nonetheless, this early work

Œ

“Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty ”

21

introduces components that Calvert would continue to explore throughout his career and, in a limited way, displays an ability to write expressively and with imagination, probably the reason why he carefully preserved the score. It also demonstrates that, even at this age, the composer was capable of developing musical ideas to some length by employing both unity and contrast. Calvert composed other pieces around this time as well. Notes in his diary indicate that he wrote a male chorus called Joy, Freedom, Peace and a cornet trio in September 1945, both of which he performed with friends at the Montreal Citadel.21 These pieces appear to be lost, although the male chorus was performed by the men’s voices of the Montreal Citadel Band on 1 June 1947, 13 February 1949, and 28 May 1950.22 Interestingly, the tune on which Calvert apparently based Joy, Freedom, Peace appears in the Salvation Army Tune Book under the title, and using the melody, of Stephen Foster’s popular song, Old Folks at Home. In the Tune Book, the first words of the song are “Joy, freedom, peace,” thus Calvert’s title.23 He also spent considerable time writing a march provisionally titled Salute to America, which was partly inspired by the Montreal Citadel Band’s visit to Connecticut in November 1945 to participate in the Diamond Jubilee of the Meriden Salvation Army Citadel.24 The Americans who hosted them were very generous, and after the band returned home, Calvert determined to write a march (Salute to America) honouring their hosts. He documented his progress in his diary, including an outline of the projected march: Salute to America Intro: cors. and euph. on beat. Rest off beat A Sec: cors. take lead, bass and horns vamp. Trom. on pedal note and euph. on countermelody B Sec: continuation of A. Bass and horns still on vamp, rest filling in harmony. Then back to A section, played through once and then end. Int: brief, in which will stay in orig. key of F C Sec: Horns take up melody of Star Spangled Banner [sic] with trom. euph. And bass filling in (modern?)25 This description mostly matches a substantial part of an untitled march preserved in the Morley Calvert Fonds at McMaster University

22

A Life in Music

and another early work that Calvert apparently valued. The march is scored for a reduced-instrumentation brass band (two cornets, two horns, trombone, euphonium, and bass); the score carries two dates: 16 November 1945 and 21 January 1946. This untitled march opens with a four-bar introduction, and as noted in Calvert’s description above, cornets and euphonium, mostly in unison, play on the beat while the rest of the group has mainly afterbeats. In section A, the music again matches the above description. Cornets introduce the main melody, largely in parallel thirds or sixths, while the euphonium adds a countermelody, the horns and bass vamp, and the trombone plays sustained notes. At the B section, the horns and bass continue the vamp; however, the other instruments assume more than a purely harmonic role. Melodic material is shared between the cornets and the trombone/euphonium line, although this latter part regularly divides to complete the harmony as necessary (see examples 1.3 and 1.4). A repeat of A ensues just as noted in the outlined structure. The subsequent interlude is indeed brief, just two bars. However, this music is not in F, and in fact, the march has always been in E-flat major. Calvert was probably referring to the written key of the B-flat instruments, in this case cornets, trombone, euphonium, and bass, rather than the concert key. The C section is a complete deviation from the outlined structure. Calvert apparently abandoned his idea of incorporating “The StarSpangled Banner,” electing instead to introduce a new melody played by the euphonium, supported by the trombone and accompanied by another vamp in bass and horns. The new D section that follows presents a unison melody in all the lower instruments with fanfare figures in the cornets and horns. In his diary, Calvert mentions that after writing down the A section of the march, he “got an inspiration for a bass solo”;26 perhaps this section was originally the B section of the piece. An E section functions as a trio with a simple cornet melody and rapid scalic passages in euphonium. As is usual in British-style marches, a da capo completes the composition. Apparently, the two dates assigned to this march represent its gestation period, which lasted several months. According to Calvert’s diary, he wrote the introduction on 15 November 1945 and the A section the following day.27 While he began composing the march at this time, it was not completed until 21 January 1946, which probably accounts for the change of concept (removal of the quotation of “The Star-Spangled

Cornets > > >> > > > > a novelty ” 23œ œ œ b 4 œ “Smart b œ œ œ œ œ> œ œ œ >œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœmen œ> œeverywhere, œœ & b 4 Cornets œœ ™™ œœare œ œ œ œ œ œ œjœbut œI am > > œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œJ œ >œ >œœ™™ œœ œœ œbœnœ œœ œ #œ œ b 4 >œœ œœ œœ œœ >œœ œ œ œ œ >œ >œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ j & b b 4 Cornets >Horns > œ œ œ œ >œ >œ ™ œ >œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œœœ >œ >œ ™ œ œ œbœnœ œœ œœ œ#œ œ > bbbb 44 >œœ‰ œœ œœjœœ >œœjœœ ‰œœ œœ ‰œœ >œj >œj™ ‰œ ‰œ œ œjœ ‰œ œœ œœjœœ œjJœ œ‰ œœj ‰œ™™ œœœj ‰œ j j ‰œ ‰œœ œœj#œœj ‰œœ & b œ œ ™ œ >œ œ œ œ >œ œ œœ œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œœ œœbœnœœ œ #œœ œ œ œ & b 4 Horns j j j >j j > > > b j J ‰ œj ‰œ™ œœj ‰ j j ‰ ‰ j j ‰ 4 œ b œ œ ‰ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ b > œ & 4 Euphonium œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ > œœ œ >œj >œnœœj bœ œœ œœ #œœ œœ Horns œ œ œ j j j j j n œ œ j b ? 4 ‰ œ œ ‰ ‰œ œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ ‰œ œ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ ‰ œœj œœœj ‰ ‰œ#œœj œj ‰ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ & bbbbb 4 Euphonium œ œnœ bœ ? b 4 ‰ œnœ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b b 4 Euphonium œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ nœ bœ œ œ œ ? bb 4 ‰ ‰ œœœœœ b4 > > > ‰ > > j b œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ b>œ bœœ œœ œœ œœ nœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ™ œ & b b œœ #nœœ œœ n>œ > Œ‰ > >™ œ j b œ n œ > œ œ œ œ œ nœ b>>œ bœœ œœj œœ >œœj nœœ œœ œœ œœ >œœj >œœj™ œ & bbb œœj #nœœ œœ n>œ > bbbbb œj œœ n‰œ œ bn>œœœ nœ œ nœ Œ‰Œ œ nœ b>‰œœ bœ œœ œ œœ œ ‰œ œ ‰œ >>œœ >>œœ ™™ ‰œ & & b œj # œ œ > œ œj œ >œj nœ œ œ œ œœj œœœj™ œœ Œ œ b œ ‰ Œ ‰ & b œ b>œ nœ > œœj œ n>œœœj œ ‰œ œ ‰ >œœj >œœj ‰ ? bb œj ‰ >œ Œ ‰‰ œ œ ‰œ œ ‰œ œ œœ ‰ & b œJœ ‰ b>œ nœœ Œ œ œ œ œ nœœ œ ? bb œ ‰ >œ œ Œ ‰ œ b J œ œ œ œ > œ œ n œ ? bb œ ‰ œ ‰ œ Œ b J > > j‰ Œ Ó > > > > > > œ b > œ œ & b b >œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œjœ œ œ ™ œ œ# œ œ œ nœ œ >œ nœ œ > nœ j ‰ ŒŒ Ó > œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œJ œ >œ >œ™ œ > œ Ó b & b b >œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œjœ >œ >œ ™ œ œ œ œ nœ œ >œ nœ œ >œ nœ œ j ‰ ŒŒ Ó œ œ œ œ >œ œ > > œj ># œ > Ó œ nœ œ œj bbbb œ‰ œ œj œ ‰œ œœ œœj œœ œjJœ ‰œ œœj œ™ œ œ n œ & ™ œ œ b ‰ œ ‰ Œ Ó & b >œ œ œ œ >œ œ œœ œ œJ œ >œ >œœ™ œœœ œœ# œ œ œœ nœ œ n œ œœ j j j œ œ b j > j > > ‰œ >œ >œ‰ œœœ >>œ & b b >‰ œœ >‰ œœœ œ >œœ œœ ‰ Œ Ó >œ nb>œœ œj j n ? bb ‰ œj œ œ œ j > > > ‰œ œœ œ‰ œœ >> Jœj ‰‰ ŒŒ ÓÓ & b ‰ œœ ‰ œœ œ œ > n œ œ œ > > œ n œ bœ ? bb ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ‰ Œ Ó > > >œ > b J œ œ > > œ œ œ > > n œ œ œ b œ [March], bars 5–12 (A theme and counterpoint) ? b1.3 œ œ‰ Œ Ó bb ‰ œ œ œ J

Banner” and the provisional title) and the expansion of the work from three to five sections. This march represents a considerable development in compositional ability over Memories of Jackson’s Point, although the two works do have elements in common. Calvert was able to construct more evolved and imaginative melodies, and perhaps more importantly, his understanding of counterpoint was considerably better developed. With this enhanced comprehension of the effectiveness of line, he was able to

24

A Life in Music

b 4 ‰ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ ˙ &b b 4 œ œ œ ≈ Œ J > >> >> ˙ j ? b 44 ‰ œJ œnœ œ œbœ ™ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bb b & b b œ™ œ œ bœ n˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? bb œ b bb œ ™ œ œ œ b>˙ b & ? bb œ ™ œ œ œ b˙ b

œ œ œ ≈ Œ ‰ œJ œ œ œ >œ n>œ >œ >œ b>œ œ œ œ

œ nœ œ ≈ Œ Œ

‰ œœœ œœœ≈Œ J > > > > > œ œ œnœ œbœ ™ ‰ J œ J

‰ bœ œ œ œ ˙™

nœ nœ œ ≈ b>œ

>œ

œ Œ

Œ Ó

1.4 [March], bars 13–20

construct a work with energy and variety, which also displays an awareness of the timbral possibilities of his ensemble. The bright A theme in the cornets develops substantial momentum, especially when combined with the countermelody in the euphonium and the accompanying vamp figure. Its characteristic motive of descending coupled thirds or sixths is distinctive and is the primary unifying element of the piece. At the B section, Calvert’s sense of timbral/textural variety is first apparent. Dividing the B theme between the cornets and low brass provides both textural contrast and adds an attractive touch of instrumental colour. The brief interlude (bars 30–31) appears to identify the point at which the concept of the march was altered. The music in these bars is suddenly more dissonant than previously with multiple simultaneous accented upper neighbour figures reminiscent of Part I of Memories of Jackson’s Point. While the harmony of these two bars is essentially a B-flat major chord, the acciaccatura figures create another brief chord a half-step above.28 Although the clashes here are much stronger, they do relate to the on-the-beat dissonance that is characteristic of the A theme, where the dissonance is softened by the sixteenth-note rhythm.

“Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty ”

œ™ œœ ˙˙ ? bb 44 œ™ ? bbbb 4

? b ˙˙ ? bbbbb 1.5

œ™ œœ ˙˙ œœ œœ œ™

œœ œ œ™ œ ˙ œ œ™ œ ˙

œœ œœ

œœ œœ

˙˙

˙˙

25

>>œ™ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œJJ ‰‰ ŒŒ ŒŒ œ™ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œjj œ ‰ Œ œ œJ œ- œ œJ ‰ Œ J J

[March], bars 32–39

Also, at this point the bass line changes from E-flat to B-flat tuba, perhaps suggesting that Calvert returned to the work after a hiatus. The C section creates the first significant contrast in the work. The melody is unrelated to earlier melodic material, and the cornets are silenced for the first time. However, Calvert continues the horn/bass vamp, which helps connect this section to previous music. The thinner texture focusses attention on the euphonium melody. The D section is the climax of the march and presents Calvert’s “inspired bass solo” played in unison by all the low-register instruments, while cornets and horns contribute fanfares that drive the music forward. This section is also in C minor, the only deviation from the tonic (E-flat major). Like the previous section, this music bears no apparent connection to preceding material; however, the melody again includes acciaccaturas, relating it to the A theme and the interlude. At the following E section or trio, Calvert introduces another new but rather simple melody, which lessens the intensity in preparation for the da capo. Rapid scalic passages in euphonium and the familiar vamp in horns and bass maintain momentum. In this early work, Calvert produced vigorous and melodically inventive music that represents a considerable advance over his earlier piano piece, although frequent brief chromaticisms and on-the-beat dissonances connect the two works musically. The primary weakness of the march is its rigidly sectionalized structure with a plethora of unrelated themes. Calvert attempted to integrate the music through his use of accented non-harmonic tones and the persistent vamp in horns and bass. While these efforts do succeed to a degree, they also seem overused. The work’s strength is its energetic character and variety in timbre and texture, elements that Calvert would continue to refine and develop throughout his compositional career. The autograph score displays markings implying that it was performed, presumably by the Montreal Citadel Band.

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A Life in Music

In a resumé he assembled in 1985 as he prepared to retire from high school teaching, Calvert claimed that he began taking music courses at McGill University in 1946. He had wanted to begin promptly after high school, in September 1945, but waited too long to register.29 The timing was opportune for him to begin working toward a music degree because McGill had established a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 1944.30 However, he did not immediately embrace a musical career. His parents were well aware of the uncertainties of a life in music and encouraged him to follow his father’s example: secure a position with a good company and gradually work his way up, reserving music for non-work time and, in the case of the Salvation Army, for worship. In his diary, Calvert describes an afternoon spent with his father when they “talked about work and school and decided I should go to work and study a bit on the side. I was reluctant at first, but finally realized it was for the best.”31 His mother was less rigid in this matter. At suppertime one evening, she told him that if he was able to save the money, he could go to the University of Toronto to study music. Calvert was relieved but realized it would take “a couple of years” to raise the money.32 In 1947, he attended an International Festival of School Music at the Montreal Forum, where he heard the Barrie Central Collegiate Band from Barrie, Ontario. He was very impressed by their level of performance, but, of course, had no idea of the significance that ensemble would assume later in his career.33 However, this performance and his attendance at the festival were important incentives pushing him to begin preparations for a career in school music teaching. Calvert took a job at Crane Limited, a plumbing supply company in Montreal, and established what would be the pattern for the rest of his life. He would make his living from a full-time job but would be engaged in many other activities. In the late 1940s, he was working at Crane; preparing for his Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LrSM ) on piano (completed 1948); preparing for an Associateship (A. Mus.) in trumpet performance from McGill Conservatorium (completed 1950); studying advanced harmony through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London (certificate issued December 1947);34 and dedicating substantial time to music at the Montreal Citadel where he played cornet with the band and, after completing his LrSM , served as organist, frequently playing preludes and organ voluntaries at services and other Citadel events.35 He was also already being featured regularly in solos, duets, and trios with the band. In February 1945,

“Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty ”

27

he played a duet with Deputy Bandmaster A.R. Smith and, in April, a trio with Smith and Sergeant-Major Goodier.36 In November, he, along with Gordon Hamilton, played a “sparkling” four-hand piano version of Bandmaster Audoire’s Montreal Citadel March, arranged by the composer.37 These kinds of appearances continued frequently throughout the following years, including a trio with Smith and bandsman H. Ellsworth on 3 November 1946, and a solo with the band on 19 January 1947 at a festival commemorating the twenty-first anniversary of the Notre Dame West Corps.38 On 14 February 1948 and twice in May of the same year, he played cornet trios with Smith and another band member, W. Marsh.39 During the band’s trip to Toronto in April 1948,40 and on numerous other occasions, he performed cornet duets with Marsh. His leadership potential had also been recognized. In the summer of 1947, Calvert was an instructor at the Salvation Army music camp held at Edgewood Park, Eden Mills, Ontario.41 His responsibilities are not documented, but he could have taught cornet, piano, or theory. His direction of a youth ensemble from the Montreal Citadel at a Youth Council in Montreal in April 1948 was highly praised in the War Cry. Apparently, their performance of the march Brooklyn Citadel by William Bearchell and the meditation The Pilgrim Way by Eric Ball demonstrated “excellent style.” Calvert continued to direct this youth group until at least 1951.42 Calvert worked at Crane for three years, September 1945 to August 1948, according to his 1985 resumé. Grace Calvert reported that he had found out about music scholarships at McGill University that were intended for performers on specific instruments. He acquired an oboe, taught himself to play it, and won a scholarship.43 The Sir William Peterson Memorial Scholarship and the Sir William Macdonald Memorial Scholarship were advertised widely and included the following qualification: “In particular, oboists, bassoonists and ’cellists are asked to apply. Candidates should be prepared to play one or two movements of a sonata or concerto or similar piece of their own choice.”44 These would seem to be the likely candidates for Calvert’s initiative, but unfortunately, McGill University Archives have been unable to confirm which scholarship he received, and announcements in the press regarding the recipients of these prizes during the late 1940s do not identify Calvert as a winner. However, other organizations supported music scholarships at McGill Conservatorium. For example, the McGill Chamber

28

A Life in Music

Music Society founded a scholarship, which was again directed toward specific instrumentalists – oboists, bassoonists, ’cellists, and violists.45 Perhaps Calvert’s award was endowed by another such source. Apparently, he received it prior to the 1948–49 academic year since, at this point, his parents withdrew their objections. He began to prepare for a musical career, including attending McGill full time, starting in September 1948.46 Another important Canadian composer who encountered initial parental concern about launching a career in music was Louis Applebaum. When he decided to become a composer, his parents were dubious about his ability to survive as a musician. Fortunately, both composers had piano teachers who recognized their talent and encouraged their compositional efforts. In Calvert’s case, as noted above, Bandmaster Audoire programmed his male chorus Joy, Freedom, Peace at least three times and apparently also performed his early, unnamed march. Applebaum was studying with renowned piano pedagogue Boris Berlin,47 who supported his initiatives to the point that, at Berlin’s urging, Applebaum submitted an early song, Du Hast Diamenten und Perlen, to a contest sponsored by the Canadian Performing Rights Society. It won the competition and essentially launched Applebaum’s career.48 However, once these decisions were made, both composers received unequivocal parental support for the rest of their careers. Calvert’s compositional activities are not documented for much of the late 1940s, but he apparently was refining his skills, since in 1949 he produced his Selection: In His Name, a work of substantially more sophistication than either of the earlier extant compositions. In Salvation Army usage a “Selection” is a composition that unites two or more songs or hymn tunes that are related in subject matter or have a shared theme. Selections fall into two categories: shorter works for performance during worship services and more extended compositions intended for presentation during festivals.49 Calvert’s In His Name uses three tunes, all of which refer to Christ, and, considering the dynamism of some of the textures, was probably intended for festivals rather than worship services. It remains unpublished, but the score contains markings indicating that it was performed and displays three dates: Score – 10 May 1949, 21 August 1949; Parts – 27 September 1949. There would have been little need for Calvert to extract the parts unless a performance was planned. At least three copies of the score exist, including two autograph copies and a fair copy in ink, suggesting that the work may

“Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty ”

29

have been provided to bands other than that of the Montreal Citadel, and that the composer either intended to submit, or submitted, it to Salvationist Publications for publication. If it was submitted, it apparently was not accepted since it remains in manuscript. Holz observes that, for Salvation Army composers, Selections were easy to formulate but difficult to integrate effectively. Simple medleys of tunes, connected by brief transitions, did constitute satisfying musical statements.50 Calvert seems to have been well aware of this issue, and in his Selection, he designed distinctive motives that could be recalled throughout the work, echoed melodic fragments from section to section, and developed thematic cells to considerable length. Grace Calvert remarked that the melodies Morley used in his works frequently were not the songs and hymns that were regularly sung in worship services.51 This work is a good illustration of his quest for lesser-known materials. The first tune, Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee, is normally sung in the Salvation Army, and in other churches, to the tune St Agnus or, less frequently, to the tune Colne. Calvert’s melody bears no resemblance to either of these. The other two tunes that appear in the work, Golgotha’s Hill, written by George Marshall, and In His Name, written by Albert Jakeway, were gleaned from a supplementary Salvation Army publication, Gems for Songsters, Issue 3, published in 1947. It seems likely that Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee was drawn from a similar source. Gems for Songsters was a compilation of the best songs published in the Salvation Army periodical, Salvationist, over several years.52 It was printed in at least eleven issues with multiple impressions, beginning in 1920. The eight-bar introduction begins with one of the distinctive motives played by solo euphonium. The tritone in bar 1 is immediately reflected in the harmony when the trombones and first baritone emphasize the pitches E-flat and A in the first chord, an F dominant seventh, then resolve them to the tonic triad, B-flat minor. By bar 5, the harmony has become complex with simultaneous rising and falling chromatic passages. The rest of the introduction consists of motives drawn from the impending tune, developed imitatively. The first melody, Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee, arrives at bar 9 in solo cornet with minimal accompaniment – a bass line and three other solo lines that develop motives from the introduction. The transparency of this segment is probably intended to reflect the prayerful character of the words “Jesus the very thought of Thee; With sweetness

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œ J n˙

? bb b 44 œ ™ bb

œ œ œ™ œ œ n œ œ

Ϫ

œ J n˙

mp

1.6

Selection, In His Name, bars 1–3 (Tritone motive)

b 3 j & b bbb 4 ‰ œ œ œ nœ œ ˙ p

Œ

1.7 Selection, In His Name, bars 11–12 (Flugelhorn motive)

fills my heart,” and in the middle of the tune Calvert introduces a brief motive in the flugelhorn that appears to have been extracted from the third tune (In His Name) and will be recalled at various points later in the piece. Already by the end of the first section, Calvert has carefully integrated his composition around familiar motives, particularly in the accompanying materials. Throughout this section, the harmony largely functions diatonically; however, ninth and eleventh chords are present along with added-note chords, including several instances of sonorities with added sharp fourths, another harmonic reference to the tritone in the first bar. A stream of secondary seventh chords occurs at bars 21–24, which begins the process of modulation to the new key, F major. The following twelve bars comprise a modulation and transition to the second tune. However, this segment is also developmental. Calvert created a new melodic fragment from the hymn tune and recalled motives from the introduction, including quoting the “Tritone” motive from the first bar – in the bass line at bar 30. Much of the counterpoint emphasizes the falling seconds that conclude almost every phrase of the initial melody and often create poignant suspensions or other accented non-harmonic tones. To conclude the transition, he borrowed a motive from the upcoming hymn, another effective integrating technique. The second tune, Golgotha’s Hill, emerges at bar 32, played by first trombone, occasionally doubled at the octave by flugelhorn or cornet. As he had done in the previous section, Calvert kept the accompaniment transparent to emphasize the melody, and employed motives from the tune as well as figures reminiscent of earlier music. At bar 36, two cornets add a derivative of the “Flugelhorn” motive.

“Smart men are everywhere, but I am a novelty ”

31

œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ ™ œ œœ œ ? b 44 œ œ ™ œJ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ J J J J mp

?

œ™ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ™ œJ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ J J b J J J mf

œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ ˙ ? b œ ™ œ œ œ œ™ œJ U J 1.8

p

œ œ œ ™ œJ œ œ ‰ Ó J

Selection, In His Name, Golgotha’s Hill, bars 32–48

Calvert used both harmony and texture to programmatically reflect the text. The musical phrase related to the words “on dark Golgotha’s hill” (bars 7 and 8 of the tune) is harmonized by a G minor seventh, a G-sharp diminished chord, and an A major chord with added sixth and seventh resolving to an A dominant seventh, with the dissonance probably evoking the sorrow and suffering of Christ’s death. A few bars later, the “otherworldly” sound of the French sixth appears at the word “spirits.” At the textual phrase “He who whispered,” the melody is presented unaccompanied. Other examples of tone painting can also be identified. This section concludes with another transition/development. Motives from the introduction are combined with fragments of the last phrase of the tune in an accumulating texture that leads to a powerful recall of the introduction at loud volume and marked con fuoco, an agitated and forceful segment that constitutes a surprising contrast to the calm music that preceded it. Since the last phrase of the tune is prominent in the counterpoint and is related to the words “Did die,” “He died,” or “Who died,” depending on which verse is being sung, this section may be intended to portray the Crucifixion. The climax recedes in preparation for the arrival of the third tune, In His Name. Calvert’s setting of In His Name differs substantially from the two previous tunes. This melody is considerably longer than the other two and has a chorus. The statement of the tune with its accompaniment is virtually always in unison rhythm. However, while the rhythm is simplified, the harmony becomes highly chromatic and developmental, focussing on the rising and falling

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b3 Œ & b 4 œ™ j œ œ n œ œ ˙™ œ œ œ n œ- œ mf

b & b bœ œ œ œ bœ ˙ b &b

bœ œ œ œ ˙ ™

j œœ œ ˙ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ

œ ˙™

œ œ œ œ ˙™

j œ™ œ bœ œ bœ- œ œnœ ˙

œ ˙™

Chorus

j œ™ œ œ œ œ- ˙

b & b œ ™ œJ œ œ œ ˙

j œ nœ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙™

œ œ#œ œ ˙™

‰Œ œ™ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œj

1.9 Selection, In His Name, In His Name, bars 65–96

half-steps in the tune. At bars 73–76, all the lines descend chromatically, creating a series of seventh chords that progress by half-step, an unusual and rather disconcerting effect, reminiscent of a similar passage in Calvert’s early piano work, Memories of Jackson’s Point (1944), and perhaps intended to reflect the matching, rather mystical words in the third verse of the song: “Passing thro’ the shadows, I need fear no ill.” Only the chorus is repeated, and at this point, the tune virtually disappears in intense development using motives from the tune imitatively and surrounded by simultaneous rising and falling halfstep fragments. The focus on half-step motion generates many sharply dissonant passing chords, including a number with added tritones, although the underlying harmony in the final section of the work is E-flat major. Not surprisingly, considering its origin in this tune, the “Flugelhorn motive” appears often throughout this closing section, most notably at the climax (bars 109–110), where it is scored into the soprano cornet, first cornet, and euphonium to ensure it will be heard and then imitated in the lower voices in the subsequent bar. In the final eight bars, Calvert dissipated the intensity through a slower harmonic rhythm, simpler harmony, and longer note values in preparation for a very quiet conclusion. No clear course of Calvert’s compositional development from 1945 to 1949 can be traced, but during that time he substantially enhanced his proficiency in musical integration, counterpoint, and tone painting.

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33

As analysis reveals, his Selection: In His Name, despite being based on three separate themes, makes a convincing, unified musical statement through the repetition and development of recognizable motives. His decision to set the first two tunes quite simply and the third in a more complex texture provided the work with an effective long-range contour and considerable momentum toward the final climax. However, one wonders if the intensity of the counterpoint in the concluding section, with its concomitant sharp dissonances, combined with his use of lesser-known tunes contributed to its apparent rejection by the music department of Salvationist Publications in 1949–50, and thus to its current obscurity. By the end of the 1940s, Calvert had decided that his future career would be in music and had begun intensive preparation for it through two years as a music student at McGill University. He had assumed a position of responsibility as organist at the Montreal Citadel, was recognized as a superb bandsman, and was undertaking leadership roles within and outside his home church. Bandmaster Audoire as well as colleagues in the Citadel band apparently appreciated his compositions. Joy, Freedom, Peace was performed by them at least three times and was still in their repertoire in 1950, five years after its composition. The scores to his untitled march and his Selection: In His Name display markings suggesting that the Citadel band presumably performed both. Calvert was on the cusp of much greater things. In the following decade he would complete his education, launch his teaching career, assume more and more responsibility within the Salvation Army at the Montreal Citadel and beyond, and establish an international reputation as a composer.

2 Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer: 1950 s Nineteen fifty was a signature year for Calvert. In June, he was selected to represent the Montreal Citadel at an International Youth Congress in London, UK. Grace Simpson was selected to represent Ottawa, and their group of some fifty young people and officers from across Canada and from Bermuda left Montreal aboard the liner Asconia on 26 July. The congress lasted for four weeks, after which the group returned to Canada on 24 August aboard the Franconia.1 Grace and Morley met for the first time on this excursion and had what Grace later called “a shipboard romance.”2 They were married in Ottawa on 19 January 19523 and had two children, Eric (born 26 October 1956) and Lianne (born 3 December 1958). Calvert also launched his teaching career in 1950 when he was hired part-time by Gifford Mitchell,4 music supervisor of the Westmount Protestant School Board (later the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal), to initiate a school band program at Westmount Junior/ Senior High School,5 the first of its kind in Quebec.6 By this time, such programs had existed in much of the United States for two decades and had been introduced in Ontario and other parts of Canada shortly after the Second World War.7 While school bands did exist at various Quebec high schools, they were extracurricular in nature. Mitchell wanted to establish band programs as a regular component of the curriculum, similar to those existing in other jurisdictions. For the first few years, Calvert taught both choral and instrumental music at Westmount, but by 1953 he had developed the curriculum to the point that instrumental music took up all of his time.8 The band rather quickly achieved considerable recognition, appearing at events both within and outside the school. By 1957 he taught three classes of thirty-five students at the

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

35

junior high and drew the strongest players from each class to create the Junior High School Band. At the senior high, all lessons were still extracurricular, meeting only one hour per week. Calvert combined the best players from both levels to form the Westmount High School Senior Band, which performed two concerts each year, visited other schools, travelled out of town, and participated in important civic events.9 This group had achieved an excellent performance level. Their concert on 15 May 1957 included challenging and varied repertoire: Washington Post March by John Philip Sousa, Ode for Trumpet by Alfred Reed, A Walking Tune by Clare Grundman, Sandpaper Ballet by Leroy Anderson, Pavane by Maurice Ravel, and River Jordan by Maurice Whitney.10 Also in 1957, seven members of the band were chosen to perform with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Dr Wilfred Pelletier, an exceptional accomplishment considering that only twelve students from all of the Montreal schools were selected for this event.11 Since Quebec did not have a well-established school band festival, Calvert began entering his bands in the highly regarded Ottawa Music Festival. The Junior High School Band placed third in 1956,12 but this was only the beginning. In 1958, the Westmount High School Senior Band, competing against thirteen other groups from Ontario and Quebec, won the Rotary Club Trophy in the Ottawa Festival and drew very high praise from the adjudicator, Dr Robert Rosevear of the University of Toronto, who was quoted in the Montreal Star: “Never have I found such expression in the Toccata for Band by Frank Erickson. The playing and the interpretation were excellent.”13 This accomplishment garnered considerable attention in the Montreal press. In addition to that article, the Examiner (Westmount, Quebec) published a front-page picture of Gifford Mitchell and R.O. Bartlett, the principal of Westmount High School, officially presenting Calvert with the trophy.14 During 1958, the band made an LP recording that included some of the works from their May 1957 concert along with a number of new pieces, such as Dorian Overture by Maurice Whitney, Trumpeter’s Lullaby by Leroy Anderson, Toccata for Band by Frank Erickson, American Folk Rhapsody by Clare Grundman, and Charter Oak March by Eric Osterling.15 Calvert’s bands continued to do well in the Ottawa festivals. In 1959, the High School Senior Band placed second in the Grade “A” open class for senior bands,16 and in 1960, both the Junior High and Senior bands captured first place in their respective classes.17 The High School

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Senior Band was again awarded first place in their class in 1961 and was invited to participate in the “Stars of the Festival” concert, the culminating event of the festival. Westmount bands were also taking part in musical events in Quebec. The High School Senior Band participated regularly in the Mount Royal Music Festival. Hosted at Mount Royal High School, this concert festival was established in 1954 by Harrison Jones, the music teacher at the school, and run each year by the Mount Royal High School Home and School Association. It operated in a similar fashion to Honour Bands in Canada and the United States. A selection of the best performers from high schools in Quebec, Ontario, and New England came together for three days and formed a large orchestra, band, and mixed choir. They rehearsed under the leadership of prominent conductors and presented two performances on Saturday in the auditorium of Mount Royal High School. The proceeds from the final concerts supported the music program at the school.18 In the spring of 1961, the Montreal Competitive Music Festival was revived after having been discontinued early in the Second World War. Its rebirth was greeted very positively; nearly 3,000 students took part in competitions held at St James United Church and Montreal High School during the first week of March. Westmount Junior High School Band won first place in the Grade “B” class for concert bands. A final concert featuring winners who had given outstanding performances was held at West Hill High School two days after the festival had finished.19 Two months later, the High School Senior Band participated in the Quebec Music Festival held in Victoria Hall, Westmount. This festival, which was in its third year, was a province-wide event with competitions taking place over several weeks in Thetford Mines, Rimouski, Chicoutimi, Quebec City, and Montreal. Calvert probably wanted his band included in this event because the wind instrument adjudicator was Robert Austin Boudreau, founder of the American Wind Symphony and a very highly respected conductor and teacher.20 The structure of this festival was unusual in that wind instrument soloists, chamber ensembles, and bands all competed against each other in the same classes. This situation clearly disadvantaged bands with their wider range of relative abilities and much more potential for errors. That Calvert’s band could place at all was an accomplishment – that it placed second in the wind instrument section was remarkable.21 Concert programs from the early 1960s show that the Westmount band

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

37

continued to evolve in technical and musical capability, allowing the group to perform more and more sophisticated music, including excerpts from Symphonic Songs for Band and Suite of Old American Dances by Robert Russell Bennett, and the complete Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst.22 All of these works are core repertoire for high school and college bands everywhere. A former member of Calvert’s bands at Westmount, Dr Joan Russell, has indicated that at least some of his students were fully aware of his fine musicianship and counted themselves very lucky to have him as their teacher and conductor.23 Calvert’s extraordinary success at Westmount Junior/Senior High School was a powerful impetus for the establishment of similar instrumental courses across Quebec. Particularly in the Protestant schools, such programs proliferated during the 1950s. The French schools took longer, but by the 1960s, teacher training classes were in place at several universities and school programs quickly followed.24 Calvert was also involved with the promotion and improvement of school music teaching provincially and nationally. To enhance his own teaching, he completed a Licentiate in Music (School Teacher) at McGill in 1953.25 From 1958 to 1960, he was president of the Quebec School Music Teachers’ Association, and in April 1959, he and Gifford Mitchell were the elected representatives from Quebec to a conference in Toronto where the Canadian Music Educators’ Association (CMea ) was founded.26 He continued to participate in similar organizations throughout his career. In the autumn of 1949, Calvert was engaged to direct the McGill Redmen Marching Band, beginning a twelve-year association with bands at McGill University. The marching band, or the “University Band,” had existed on the McGill campus since 1926, playing at football and hockey games and occasionally performing concerts.27 By the mid1930s, the group had developed a considerable reputation, reportedly sounding “just as good on the stage as on parade.”28 During the Second World War, the band became the Canadian Officers Training Corps band but returned to campus after the war and became the McGill Redmen Band.29 In September 1947, Harrison Jones, the music teacher at West Hill High School and Lower Canada College, was appointed bandmaster with considerable fanfare, and announced an ambitious program that would considerably expand the group’s activities beyond what they had done in the past. He intended to broaden the repertoire to include “light” overtures and concert music as well as marches and planned to give occasional half-hour broadcasts over radio station

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A Life in Music

CjaD,30 as well as perform a concert later in the year. He also conducted

the yearly McGill Red and White Revue in February 1948.31 Given that Jones had been Calvert’s conductor at West Hill High School and had been one of the conductors of the celebrated 1945 production of The Yeomen of the Guard in which he had starred,32 and that Calvert had continued to work on West Hill productions after graduation, it is likely that he participated in these on-campus activities run by his former teacher, especially since he was already taking courses at McGill. It is not clear who was directing the Redmen band during the 1948– 49 academic year, but apparently the organization and its performance had deteriorated to the point that it was considered an embarrassment to the university.33 In the winter/spring of 1949, the Students Executive Council (SeC ) and the Students Athletic Council (SaC ) struck a joint committee to review the functioning of the band and to propose ways to improve it. The committee made a number of recommendations in its March report: that responsibility for funding and management be transferred from the SeC to the Athletic Board since the band performed primarily at athletic functions; that an honorarium be established for a Drill Master [sic]; that the band give a January concert that would not conflict with the McGill Choral Society’s annual spring event; and that money be found to update instruments and equipment. The committee also made the following recommendations to the university at large: • a member of the teaching staff of the Faculty of Music should be appointed Director of the band; • certain music students should be required to play in the band; • a certain amount of free instruction should be provided to band members; • the University should provide support to develop marching and symphonic bands that it could be proud of.34 Apparently, nothing happened in response to this report for some time given that early in the fall of 1949, the McGill Daily was still commenting that the band’s performance left much to be desired and then repeated many of the recommendations of the SeC -SaC joint committee.35 Something did occur shortly thereafter. By mid-October, Calvert had been hired as bandmaster and had an immediate impact on the operation and performance level of the group. The band travelled

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

39

with the football team to Toronto for a game against the University of Toronto Blues on 5 November36 and astonished everyone with its level of accomplishment: [The] new McGill Band made its first appearance outside Montreal in several seasons. Bandmaster Morley Calvert led the 30 members in a complete repertoire of songs that surprised and elated the thousands of McGill fans in the stand. The band, finally making the trip on funds collected from the students, topped off a perfect afternoon with their brilliant display. Morley Calvert, the new bandmaster [has] in but a short while succeeded in moulding a well-integrated group. [Their] newly-learned marching techniques … would have done credit to a much more experienced band. The band is notable for another feature. Every one of the men is a regular student at the University. In past years it wasn’t possible to raise even a small band without enlisting high school and professional musicians. Even Toronto students commented on the quality of the McGill musicians. [Although] only one third the size of the Varsity band, it gave an equally good display.37 Vic Obeck, coach of the McGill Redmen football team, noticed the improvement and had high praise for Calvert’s band.38 Although the Toronto game was the first appearance of the band on the field and off the McGill campus, for several weeks it had been playing at home games while sitting in the stands and had made an impact. A letter to the editor of the McGill Daily noted the improvement in the players and complained that their placement in the stands disadvantaged McGill fans.39 The re-energized band also continued to appear at hockey and basketball games as well as at Winter Carnival and other athletic events.40 Calvert’s impressive work continued in the 1950–51 academic year. A staff member of the McGill Daily attended a rehearsal on 5 October 1950 and reported: Your agent was at their practice last night expecting to find the usual aggregation of 25 or so persons conducting a race to see who could finish playing the tune first. But lo and behold there

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A Life in Music

were 45 serious young men who played with their music in one eye on the score [sic] and one on Mr Morley Calvert, the director. Mr Calvert commented that this was the best band he has ever had at McGill and further complimented them on their application keenness. He stated that all the bandsmen had been attending practices faithfully and from what this observer heard of the band, it compares very favourably with other college bands in the circuit as far as the quality of their music goes.41 This reporter’s appraisal was further supported two weeks later. The band travelled with the McGill team to Kingston to play the Queen’s University Golden Gaels and its performance was lauded: “McGill’s band put on another great show. The musicians more than equalled the two Queen’s bands. The Tricolour features a regular marching band and a bagpipe ensemble.”42 Calvert also incorporated an innovation by including performances of light classical music, such as Franz von Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture, played by a small concert band selected from the larger group,43 apparently an attempt to realize Harrison Jones’s idea from 1947, and a means of including music that Calvert preferred. Through 1950 and 1951, Calvert began to “Americanize” the band by introducing precision marching routines like those practised by American university marching bands, but not seen before at McGill.44 During the 1951 season, it also participated in a momentous event. The band had travelled with the team to London, Ontario, for a game against the University of Western Ontario Mustangs on 20 October. The Redmen had not defeated the Mustangs at home in London for sixteen years, but this game would finally break the jinx. When Calvert’s band, sitting in the stands, realized that McGill would win, they “had a brainwave [and] struck up ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down.’”45 This game was also the scene of a couple of ugly incidents. When the band was presenting its half-time marching show, it was pelted with rotten apples hurled by Mustang fans in the stands. After the game, possibly angered by the playing of “London Bridge,” the same fans tried to destroy the McGill band’s equipment and uniforms, requiring Calvert to demand police protection.46 The Redmen and Mustangs played a rematch at McGill the following week. Charlie Halpin, writing in the Gazette, had high praise for the band: “The rejuvenated McGill band, which did itself proud on the London junket, will be in attendance.”47

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

41

By 1952 the band had grown to sixty-eight members, fifty of whom travelled to virtually every football game and presented entirely choreographed half-time shows. These new routines garnered a lot of attention in the university press and included a marching M, dances to energetic music, and a number in which the band formed a huge wheel to the music of “Wheel of Fortune,” a currently popular tune.48 In the fall of 1954, the Redman Band was involved in another interesting incident. In mid-October, the band was travelling by train to London, Ontario, for another game against the Mustangs when they ran directly into Hurricane Hazel, which left in its wake unprecedented destruction through central Ontario, 15–16 October 1954. Their train was stopped east of Toronto and held for more than twenty-four hours while debris was removed and the track checked for safety.49 The band finally entered the stadium in London five minutes before the end of the game and was given a rousing ovation from the crowd, which had been advised that all trains travelling west from Toronto had been delayed by the hurricane.50 It is not entirely clear when Calvert stepped down from the directorship of the Redmen Band. Although the group had received considerable attention in the on-campus press in the early 1950s, by mid-decade it was seldom mentioned in the McGill Daily, and references that did appear rarely identified the director. However, a brief item in October 1957 indicated that Calvert was still “doubling as band master and routine creator” for the band.51 Calvert apparently resigned the directorship during, or at the end of, the 1957–58 academic year. When Calvert participated as pianist in the McGill Choral Society “Springsong” on 15 March 1958, he was identified in the McGill Daily as “the conductor of the McGill Symphonic Band”52 with no mention of the Redmen Band, which may indicate that he had resigned his directorship by that point. On 4 November 1958, the McGill Daily published a scathing editorial about the band claiming that “McGill’s reputation is not enhanced by the performance of the Band” and suggesting that the $4,000 provided by the Athletic Board for the band’s operation would be better spent elsewhere, or used to reduce the cost of education for McGill students.53 Based on his work with this group and others, Calvert would never have allowed an ensemble under his direction to have deteriorated to this point. In all likelihood a new director had not been hired for the fall of 1958 and the band was being run by students, who did not know how to rehearse and did not have the authority to impose

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the discipline and attention to detail necessary for good performance. In any case, Harrison Jones was again the director of the Redmen Band by September 1959 and held the position through the 1960–61 academic year.54 According to Grace Calvert, Morley hated directing the McGill Redmen Band. It was not the kind of musical performance that he wanted to be engaged in, and he did it only for the money. He actually used his first honorarium ($350) to buy Grace a diamond engagement ring.55 For a musician of Calvert’s training and accomplishment, one could easily imagine how the duties of the marching band beyond playing at football games – leading pep rallies; meeting visiting teams, bands, and fans at the train station and leading a procession to the Student Union Building; teaching fans new fight songs and cheers; etc. – would become tiresome. Designing and performing the on-thefield routines required aspects of creative imagination; the other duties were simply routine. However, it is apparent from Calvert’s accomplishments with the Redmen Band that he took the position seriously. In the eight years he directed the group, he put in place performance and organizational standards that sustained the band throughout his tenure with them. Directing the Redmen Band was not Calvert’s only association with bands at McGill. In January 1956, he began rehearsing the new McGill Symphonic Band, which was the result of another collaborative effort with Gifford Mitchell. Mitchell had been conducting the McGill Choral Society for more than ten years, had built it to over 200 voices, and made it an integral part of the university’s cultural life. He had also recently begun teaching music education courses in the Faculty of Music and was well positioned to help Calvert establish a band that would be structured similarly to the Choral Society – open to every student at the university and funded by a grant from the SeC . This was not Calvert’s first attempt at founding a concert/symphonic band at McGill. In November 1949, not long after being appointed director of the Redmen Band, he had proposed the forming of a concert band and had gone so far as to schedule auditions.56 Calvert was apparently encouraged in this initiative by the fact that Harrison Jones had assembled a band in the spring of 1948 and presented a concert on 4 March. Jones had amassed a large group of players (the numbers recorded range from seventy-five to eighty-five) who “preferred playing symphony music” as opposed to the marches and other light selections

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

43

offered by the marching band. Many of the members were music majors at McGill and some had played professionally. Douglas Clarke, dean of the Faculty of Music and former conductor of the Montreal Orchestra (later the Montreal Symphony Orchestra), attended a rehearsal, conducted some of the selections, and expressed his desire that the band continue to develop. The repertoire rehearsed was billed as “from Bach to Boogey Woogey,” and the actual concert program included Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (presumably excerpts), a Bach chorale, Bad Boy Boogie, and Bennett’s arrangement of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.57 Calvert almost certainly participated in this concert. Calvert’s initiative some eighteen months later was far more ambitious. He claimed that his new band would be the first university-based concert band in Canada, a statement that was technically correct. Robert Rosevear (1915–2012) had established a concert band in Toronto in 1946, but until 1962 it was affiliated with the Royal Conservatory of Music (rCM ), not the University of Toronto.58 However, the rCM and the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, were under the same administration. From 1918 until 1962, both the principalship of the rCM and the deanship of the Faculty of Music were vested in the same person.59 Rosevear’s band was the University of Toronto Concert Band in everything but name. Calvert intended to create the finest concert band in Canada and envisioned a group of thirty-five elite players, including both men and women, who could play everything from “Bach to Gershwin” and who would perform at various campus functions and provide a training ground for aspiring young professionals. He requested a budget of $250 from the SeC and (naively) thought that they would understand the importance of the new band. Dean Clarke again pledged support60 but, apparently, not in the form of financial assistance, so despite these auspicious beginnings, no regularly rehearsing concert/symphonic band existed at McGill until 1956.61 Considering Calvert’s antipathy toward marching bands, it seems likely that when he assumed the directorship of the Redmen Band it was as a stepping stone toward the establishment of a university-based concert band, and indeed, the SeC /SaC committee that had reviewed the operations of the Redmen Band in 1949 had recommended the formation of a “symphony band.”62 Undoubtedly, he was disappointed that university officials, both at the student and faculty levels, did not share his vision of the potential and importance of such an ensemble.

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He probably did not expect to have to wait six years before realizing his ambitious objective or, once the group was founded, anticipate the challenges in developing it to match his intentions. During the first months of 1956, Calvert pushed hard to get his new band performance-ready. They appeared in public for the first time on 17 February 1956 at the Montreal Forum during the McGill Winter Carnival. They played arrangements of songs by George Gershwin, Sigmund Romberg, Noel Coward, and Vincent Youmans between periods and after a championship hockey game between McGill and the University of Montreal, who were competing for the Birks Cup.63 Calvert was an avid Montreal Canadiens fan. He was probably pleased to have his new band debut in the Canadiens’ home rink, one of the most famous hockey buildings in Canada. The Symphonic Band did not start its 1956–57 season until late November 1956, probably to allow the football season to conclude and allow for the recruiting of members from the Redmen Band. According to the McGill Daily, the initial rehearsal on 21 November was encouraging and gave “every indication of a fruitful season of activity.” However, the paper also pointed out that for the band to achieve its goals, “more student musicians [were] urgently needed.”64 Similar calls for additional members for the Symphonic Band occur very regularly through the late 1950s and early 1960s, an indication of the effort Calvert and his students had to exert to maintain and improve the ensemble. The band again performed at the Winter Carnival in 1957, but it was a small group of twenty musicians, conducted by Henry Mathews, who was probably a member of the group.65 However, this may have been a select group chosen in place of the full band to play this event since the effort to attract new members was successful during the winter/spring of 1957. On 16 March, appearing as guest artists on the McGill Choral Society’s regular spring concert, the band boasted forty-three members. One of the works they performed was a transcription of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Orlando Paladino Overture, which indicates that a satisfactory level of performance had been achieved.66 The two groups continued to share occasional concerts for at least the next eight years. The next academic year, Calvert began rehearsing the Symphonic Band promptly at the beginning of classes. The group had now been in existence for a year and a half, and the McGill Daily declared it “an integral part of campus life.” Calvert announced that in the coming year the band would organize its own concerts and that he hoped to perform at

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another university.67 By November, the band’s membership was “almost complete,” but a plea was issued for additional clarinettists to identify themselves.68 The band joined the Choral Society for their annual “Sing at Christmas” concert in December 1957, participating with the choir in a humorous medley called “A Christmas Party.”69 On 1 March 1958, it performed its own full concert, which was divided into three sections: classical, contemporary, and popular.70 This concert was billed “The Best in Band Music” and included a transcription of King Stephen Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven, Mannin Veen by Haydn Wood (not an easy work to perform), In Thee Is Gladness by J.S. Bach, Oklahoma Selections by Richard Rogers, Blue Tail Fly by Clare Grundman, and Jubilee Concert March by George Kenney. Greta Jones, a pianist at the Conservatorium, was the guest artist, performing Ballad in G Minor by Frédéric Chopin and Jeux d’eau by Maurice Ravel.71 While one might question whether these works represent the “Best in Band Music,” it is apparent from this program that the Symphonic Band, now forty-five members, had made a huge leap forward in performing ability during its first full year of operation. The band also had begun to attract attention from off-campus: the Montreal Star advertised the March concert in its Arts pages.72 Interestingly, Calvert participated in the Choral Society’s “Springsong” on 15 March 1958, but as pianist, not conductor. Gifford Mitchell, William Stevens (the Choral Society’s accompanist), Calvert, and John Ringwood (music specialist at West Hill High School) played a group of two-piano eight-hands quartets in what must have been a truly remarkable performance!73 The Symphonic Band expanded its activities during the 1958–59 academic year. Again Calvert started rehearsals quickly after the beginning of classes and planned three concerts, in November, December, and March. Interestingly, the printed announcement of the commencement of rehearsals encouraged membership by both men and women,74 perhaps suggesting that women had not come forward because they believed that, like the Redman Band, they were not permitted to be involved. No performance appears to have occurred in November, but the woodwinds of the group participated in “Sing at Christmas” with the Choral Society, playing a Fred Waring arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.75 The band presented a complete spring concert billed “Band Classics” (6 March 1959) that included an arrangement of “Londonderry Air” with trumpet soloist Arthur Duff, selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and other works by Leroy Anderson, John

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Philip Sousa, and Morton Gould. Greta Jones was again the featured soloist.76And, like the previous year, this concert caught the attention of the wider Montreal community. Both the Gazette and the Montreal Star advertised it in their Arts pages.77 However, the major new initiative for this academic year was the making of a recording. The record was produced in Redpath Hall on the university campus during January 1959 and issued on McGill’s own label. These recordings were originally intended for internal use only, but around this time, McGill began making them available commercially. Walter Christopherson reviewed both the Symphonic Band and the Choral Society recordings in the Gazette and observed that both ensembles displayed “a remarkably high musical attainment among the students. Both groups sing and play a wide variety of music in quite accomplished style, notable for good balance and tone.”78 Calvert must have been pleased with the progress of his band after completing what was, by any measure, a highly successful season. Unfortunately, the year ended on a rather regrettable note. Late in March, the band executive was reprimanded by the SeC for overspending its budget by $150.89, and questions were raised on the council about whether the band should continue to be funded. While this seems to be a heavy-handed reaction to a paltry sum of money, it is understandable when put in context. The SeC itself was experiencing financial difficulties and was very concerned about the unprecedented rise in club expenses, which often included budget overruns that were a significant contributor to the financial crisis. The council put in place a new system intended to closely control club budgets.79 As it turned out, the SeC did not cut off the Symphonic Band’s funding. At its first meeting of academic year 1959–60, the council voted to continue supporting the group for one more year.80 The band launched its activities on 21 October with plans for at least three concerts and a possible trip to Ottawa but acknowledged that more musicians were needed if the year was to be successful. However, only two weeks later, a member of the band executive reported that only twenty-five players had been attending rehearsals, and unless more students could be recruited, the group would have to suspend operations.81 Rehearsals continued through November with announcements of practices and calls for new members appearing weekly in the McGill Daily. As late as mid-November, there were plans for a December concert, but no record of a performance taking place seems to have survived.

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The band took a different approach in the winter/spring of 1960, when it widened the pool of potential members by encouraging all amateur musicians to join, whether or not they were McGill students. The SeC was mandated to support only on-campus student organizations and could not fund groups with non-student members; however, the Symphonic Band was able to secure support from the Faculty of Music. The new approach apparently did draw additional players, but the band continued to publicize rehearsals and appeal for more musicians every week through the university term. Rehearsals continued into March,82 but again no record of a performance on campus appears in the university or city press. However, since the group now included nonuniversity members, a concert could have occurred either off-campus or after the McGill Daily stopped publishing, early in March. Nevertheless, it is apparent that maintaining the group had become a considerable effort. The lack of student interest must have been disappointing to Calvert and to the committed members who had tried so hard to sustain and develop the ensemble, especially after the success of the previous year. The Symphonic Band finally commenced its 1960–61 season on 16 November 1960, with plans for multiple concerts. Like the previous year, university students and other local amateur musicians were encouraged to join. However, the group immediately took another new approach. The Symphonic Band was declared defunct, and a new entity, the McGill University Concert Band, was founded with a mandate to perform one winter and one spring concert as well as short noon-hour performances in Redpath Hall and at other campus locations.83 What exactly the name change was expected to accomplish is unclear. Perhaps Calvert and the members wanted to distance themselves from the struggles of the preceding year, or possibly they thought that prospective members would find “Concert” more broadly inclusive than “Symphonic” and that including the word “University” in the name would appeal to the school spirit of McGill students. Since the new band started operations so late in the term, little could be accomplished before the Christmas break. Early in the New Year, two announcements of rehearsals, with the accompanying call for new members, appeared in the McGill Daily, 11 and 25 January 1961,84 but after this no further reference to the band appeared in the press either on or off-campus. Apparently, the group had collapsed completely by the end of the winter/spring term. Following the demise of the Concert

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Band, no concert/symphonic band existed on the McGill campus for two years, and Calvert had no further association with bands at the university, although he did continue to teach music education courses in the Faculty of Music. Ultimately, Calvert was probably disappointed with the results of his more than ten-year commitment to bands at McGill, even though he could point to some genuine achievements. He had taken over a struggling Redmen Band, completely restructured its operations, and provided it with a secure grounding that it could draw on for several years. He had proven that a promising concert/symphonic band was possible at McGill, but the support provided by the SeC and, apparently, the Faculty of Music was never sufficient for the group to engage in the activities (more frequent concerts, appearances at important campus events, off-campus trips, etc.) that would generate the profile needed to constantly recruit additional members. Paradoxically, he may have stopped conducting on campus just as developments were underway that would likely have made his objectives much easier to accomplish. During the 1960s, high school bands proliferated in Quebec and other parts of Canada, and McGill, like most Canadian universities, received an influx of new students. A larger pool of available students with playing experience would undoubtedly have simplified recruiting and raised the performance level of incoming, and existing, members. A symphonic band was re-established at McGill in September 1963 under the directorship of Peter Wilcox,85 who had been in charge of the Redmen Band since 1961.86 Wilcox conducted the symphonic band for one academic year (1963–64); its leadership was assumed by Cyril (Cy) Cooper87 in September 1964.88 Cooper led the development of the group for several years, and by September 1967, under his leadership, it was absorbed by the Faculty of Music as one of its performing ensembles.89 This finally provided the secure footing the group needed to evolve into one of Canada’s finest university-based wind bands. It was now in position to realize Calvert’s dream when he proposed the first McGill University concert band in November 1949. In addition to teaching and conducting, Calvert developed a significant professional profile during the 1950s. Early in the decade he served as accompanist to Maureen Forrester, the great Canadian contralto, who was at the beginning of her stellar international career. The extent of their collaboration is difficult to ascertain. In 1999, Calvert’s daughter, Christine (Calvert) Skippen, wrote a university paper on her father

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and contacted Forrester to enquire about their association. Forrester did not recall specifics but did remember Calvert with considerable fondness: “A Prince of a man, very musical.” She suggested that Calvert had accompanied her in church music, oratorio, and lieder at St James United Church in Montreal.90Alto soloist in the St James United choir was one of Forrester’s first positions for which she was actually paid to sing. Also, the organist and choir director at the church, Walter Norman, admired her singing and helped her get other professional opportunities.91 The church had an active musical establishment and was often the venue for concerts and other large gatherings (including some sponsored by the Salvation Army),92 so a performance by Forrester accompanied by Calvert is certainly a possibility. When Calvert was preparing to retire from Barrie Central Collegiate in 1985, he wrote to Forrester, who was then chairperson of the Canada Council, to enquire about a position with the Council. In his letter, he mentioned their acquaintance encompassing “Easter Sunrise Services on Mount Royal” and “Sunday Afternoons at the Citadel.”93 “Easter Sunrise Services on Mount Royal” were initiated by the Young People’s Union of St James United Church in 1931, when 250 young people congregated on Mount Royal on Easter Sunday morning to hear a sermon by the minister of their church, Reverend Roy C. Douglas, and sing hymns. The idea caught on and quickly became interdenominational as youth groups from other churches, including the Salvation Army, joined with young people from St James United to create a major annual religious ceremony. Because of the broad interest, the event was taken over after a few years by the Montreal Presbytery Young People’s Union of the United Church of Canada. Large groups of young people (in 1947, 1,500 people participated) continued to gather on Mount Royal early on Easter morning to sing hymns and hear a special Easter address. They were accompanied by a portable organ or by the Young People’s Band of the Salvation Army.94 Considering Forrester’s connection to St James United Church, it is virtually certain that she participated in these ceremonies, and given the Salvation Army’s involvement, Calvert probably also attended, either playing the portable organ or as a member of the band. “Sunday Afternoons at the Citadel” was launched by Bandmaster Audoire and the Montreal Citadel on 17 October 1943 and continued for eighteen years.95 The event comprised a talk by a prominent church leader of any denomination, with music provided by the Citadel Band.

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Choirs and vocal soloists from across the city were often invited to participate, and other varieties of music were also included. The inaugural occasion, for example, had Bandsmen Morley Calvert and Gordon Hamilton, as well as Deputy Bandmaster A.R. Smith, performing a recital on piano, organ, and chimes.96 In the early years, the event, especially the Citadel Band’s contribution, was sometimes broadcast over radio station CjaD .97 During the late 1940s, Calvert participated fully in these events, often playing cornet duos and trios with the band and, after he completed his LrSM in June 1948, contributing organ preludes and voluntaries virtually every Sunday for several years.98 Forrester could certainly have participated in one or more of these occurrences, and as the Citadel organist, Calvert would probably have been her accompanist. The links explored above are admittedly imprecise, but one other instance is documented where Forrester and Calvert very likely performed together. Forrester sang at the nurses’ graduation ceremony at Catherine Booth Hospital in June 1950. Since this was a Salvation Army hospital, the Montreal Citadel Band also regularly participated in the graduation ceremony, providing a processional (usually the Montreal Citadel March) and other music. Although not specified in the 1950 ceremony, Calvert often accompanied singers at these events.99 At this point in her career, Forrester did not have a regular accompanist,100 making it probable that Calvert accompanied her on this occasion. Forrester’s first official professional engagement was in Edward Elgar’s The Music Makers on 8 December 1951, conducted by Gifford Mitchell and performed at the Salvation Army Citadel,101 another potential link between her and Calvert. As noted above, Forrester remembered her brief connections with Calvert rather fondly. Similarly, he followed the brilliant trajectory of her career with considerable interest, often speaking warmly about their association with family and friends.102 From 1954 to 1956, Calvert conducted the Imperial Singers of Montreal.103 Since this was the staff choir of the Imperial Tobacco Company and the Salvation Army was opposed to smoking, Calvert’s superiors at the Citadel were not happy about this association.104 However, Imperial Tobacco had a long history of arts philanthropy. As early as 1935, the Imperial Symphony Orchestra (forty-five members) and the Imperial Choir (sixty voices) participated in a nationwide radio broadcast.105 In 1937 and 1938, the company sponsored weekly broadcasts of variety shows (called “Canada 1937” and “Canada 1938,” respectively)

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over the national broadcast network that also reached international audiences. The 1938 season featured an original Canadian composition in every broadcast.106 Unfortunately, documentation of Calvert’s work with the Imperial Singers is extremely limited, probably because the group performed mostly at company events that were not covered by the local press. At some point during the 1950s, Calvert also conducted the Montreal General Hospital Nurses’ Choir.107 The Montreal General Hospital had a long tradition of the nurses forming a “processional choir” around Christmastime and visiting the wards to sing carols and offer cheer to the patients,108 but the archivist at the hospital, Margaret Suttie, was unaware of any “formal” ensemble that rehearsed regularly under a leader. She did, however, find a brief article in the 1959 yearbook describing a “Glee Club” that apparently rehearsed throughout the autumn “under the able direction of Mr Scott from Montreal High,” performed at the alumna meeting in December, and presented a Christmas concert on 22 December. The author of the article considered this undertaking to be very successful and hoped that the Glee Club would become an annual event,109 which apparently it did. In 1961, a choir of some sixty nurses rehearsed through November and December “under the direction of William Buford” with the intention of singing carols for the patients on Christmas Eve.110 It appears, then, that the intention of these choirs was to provide enjoyment for patients confined to hospital during the Christmas season, and Calvert likely was engaged to help them prepare these events. When Calvert may have worked with these nurses’ choirs is very difficult to determine, but apparently occurred prior to 1958. An article in the Examiner (Westmount, Quebec) in June 1958 refers to his association with both the Imperial Singers and the Montreal General Hospital Nurses’ Choir as in the past: “He has had experience as conductor and guest conductor of choirs; Imperial Singers, which is a mixed choir; and the choir of the Montreal General Hospital Nurses.”111 Calvert finally graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Music in June 1956.112 After having taken courses part-time for the better part of ten years, completing the degree must have given him a great deal of satisfaction and an immense sense of accomplishment. Calvert was known in Montreal and throughout the Salvation Army as a fine cornet/trumpet player. In October 1952, the Montreal Citadel Band gave a concert at the Eaton Auditorium in Toronto and Calvert’s

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soprano cornet solo, A Scottish Melody, arranged by Bandmaster Audoire, was declared “beautifully clear and nuanced” in the local press.113 His solo was also lauded in the Salvation Army’s periodical, the War Cry.114 He performed the solo again in June 1953 at one of the C.S. Campbell Free Band Concerts115 at Fletcher’s Field in Montreal.116 Bandmaster Audoire organized a music festival at the Montreal Citadel in May 1956 in honour of Colonel A. Jakeway, head of the music editorial department at Salvationist Publications in London, UK, who was completing a cross-Canada tour. Calvert was selected to perform the Concerto for Trumpet by Franz Joseph Haydn, one of the major works of the trumpet repertoire, accompanied by the Citadel Band.117 Although more and more considered a conductor, Calvert continued to accept professional engagements on trumpet or cornet throughout the 1950s. In March 1959, he was hired by St George’s Church in Montreal as the trumpeter in a performance of the passion music from The Messiah.118 But perhaps his most extensive professional work as a brass player was with the Montreal Brass Ensemble. In June 1958, the following appeared in the Gazette: The Montreal Boy Scout movement does wonderful work in many fields. Last year the Montreal Brass Ensemble was formed, recruited from adult members of the [Boy Scout] Association and on June 13 this ensemble gave a successful concert in the Sun Life Auditorium. The ensemble, composed of 28 amateur and professional musicians, playing 11 different instruments, is now going to develop a Montreal Boy Scout Band to be formed in September. They will guide boys who wish to follow music as a career or hobby by giving them added instruction individually or in groups. Such well-known people as Morley Calvert, director of instrumental music in Westmount Senior and Junior High Schools, and leader of the Salvation Army Brass Band,119 and Grant Blair, band instructor at Monklands High School are members of the Montreal Brass Ensemble.120 The conductor of this ensemble was not Calvert, but Arnold MacLaughlan,121 a fine musician and demanding conductor who led the group until at least 1961 and built it into a fine ensemble. In June 1959, it was described in the press as a “splendid adult musical ensemble.”122 The group rehearsed regularly at Boy Scout headquarters123 and provided a

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teacher every Wednesday evening to assist anyone interested in joining the proposed Boy Scout Band.124 It took rather longer than anticipated to develop the anticipated Boy Scout Band. A call went out in November 1958 requesting applications for the “re-organized” band,125 and the Montreal Brass Ensemble gave a concert in the Sun Life Auditorium with proceeds earmarked for the founding of a Scout band.126 The band was apparently in operation by March 1959 since an announcement appeared in the press indicating that “a few more members are needed to complete the newly-organized band,”127 but no conductor is identified nor is the extent of the operations of the band described. Calvert was an obvious choice to conduct this band since the Salvation Army and the Boy Scout Association had had a long historical connection128 and, in an interview with the Barrie Banner published 8 May 1985, Calvert is credited with founding “the Vickers Boy Scout Band in east Montreal.”129 This, however, would have been a “re-founding” since Montreal had had a celebrated “Vickers Boy Scout Band” in the 1920s and 1930s, which explains why the initial call for players in November 1958 declared that the group was being “re-organized.” In January 1915, Pte. Percy Costain, a sentry at the Vickers Canada Arms plant in east Montreal, organized a Boy Scout troop for the benefit of boys (some as young as thirteen) who were working in the plant. Ultimately, the troop expanded to include the sons of anyone associated with Vickers. In 1920, a band was established and had achieved considerable renown by the 1930s. Under the direction of Lesley Blackburn, an original member, the Vickers Boy Scout Band won competitions in Canada and the United States and performed at many important civic events in and around Montreal. With the advent of the Second World War, the group enlisted en masse in 1941 and became the band of the Montreal Division of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Regiment for the duration of the war. After 1945, the group remained a military reserve band at HMCS Donnacona, the principal naval reserve unit in Montreal,130 although it also served as the Naval Cadet Band when needed131 and, apparently, was still referred to as the “Montreal Boy Scout Band” on occasion.132 When the Boy Scout band was re-established in 1958–59, the organizers went to considerable length to recapture the accomplishments of the earlier incarnation. A teacher was provided every Wednesday evening at Boy Scout headquarters, and in the summer of 1959, twelve

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members of the Montreal Brass Ensemble, “many of whom were old scouts of the former Vickers Band,” visited Camp Tamaracouta to provide instruction to any scout who wanted to play a brass instrument.133 Unfortunately, no documentation seems to exist indicating that the group survived beyond the autumn of 1959, and no record of its activities appears to have been preserved. Calvert did, of course, continue to perform with the Montreal Brass Ensemble. Joan Russell, who played with him in that group, commented on the beauty of his tone and observed that he could arrive two minutes before the downbeat and sight read everything perfectly.134 His Salvation Army training was obviously thorough and supported his natural musicianship very effectively. In addition to his other activities during the 1950s, Calvert assumed more and more responsibility for Salvation Army work, both at the Montreal Citadel and beyond. For some time he had been a member of (and soloist with) the Montreal Citadel Band and was also the Citadel organist; however, in the spring of 1953, he was appointed SongsterLeader135 and had the same immediate impact on the Songster Brigade as he had had on the McGill Redman Band in 1949. On Easter Sunday (5 April 1953), the “rejuvenated brigade” joined with the band in a “Pleasant Sunday Afternoon of Music and Song” in which they sang a series of works associated with Easter, which apparently had not previously occurred at the Citadel.136 Calvert relinquished this position in the spring of 1959,137 probably because he knew by then that Bandmaster Audoire intended to retire at the end of the year and that he (Calvert) would be appointed bandmaster. Perhaps he felt that he needed time during the ensuing months to prepare for his new responsibilities with a band that was widely admired throughout the Salvation Army and maintained a busy schedule. However, relinquishing of the directorship of the Songsters was not the end of Calvert’s choral conducting. On regular occasions, he was engaged to conduct Salvation Army choral festivals, including being chosen to rehearse and conduct the large Congress Chorus that performed at a congress in Montreal in the fall of 1957, which more than 2,000 delegates attended.138 During the mid1960s, he was the director of the Montreal Citadel Youth Chorus and led them in a well-received performance at the Youth Council of Quebec and Eastern Ontario in Montreal in April 1964.139 He also assumed other shorter-term assignments at his home citadel. For example, as early as 1951, he was engaged to conduct a composite

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music camp band at a young people’s band and singing festival that combined the resources of all of the corps in and around Montreal,140 and in 1954, he served as Young People’s Sergeant-Major.141 He and Grace were elected joint vice-presidents of the Montreal Citadel married-couples group for 1956. This group sponsored a music festival in October 1956 and, probably at the urging of the Calverts, brought prominent musician Erik Leidzén from New York to serve as chairman.142 Leidzén was to have substantial influence on Calvert’s career in the near future. Calvert’s Salvation Army activities were by no means restricted to Montreal. In early March 1951, he was soloist and presented a paper on brass band technique at a tri-band clinic in Brockville, Ontario. It involved the bands from Brockville, Cornwall, and Smith’s Falls, and was directed by Territorial Band Inspector Percy Merritt.143 The following month, he served as prompter in a three-act play, Pontius Pilate, mounted by the young people’s group of the Ottawa Citadel. His future wife, Grace Simpson, was one of the actors.144 A particular honour bestowed upon him in the fall of 1953 was the invitation to serve as organist at a Youth Congress in Massey Hall, Toronto. With some 3,500 delegates from across Canada, it was one of the culminating events of the 1953 International “Youth Year” of the Salvation Army.145 In June 1956, he took a group of six musicians from the Montreal Citadel Band to Toronto to participate in a band weekend at Toronto Temple. The performances of this ensemble were “the highlight of the series of gatherings.”146 Calvert served as musical director for the Salvation Army camp at Lac L’Achigan, Quebec,147 in 1951, ’52, and ’53, where he organized the theory, instrumental, and vocal classes; taught the advanced theory course; and conducted the faculty and/or student “A” bands.148 In preparation for the 1951 camp, he composed his bright, triplemeter March: Camp L’Achigan. The work employs original themes but displays prominent lower neighbour figures and short rising chromatic passages that can be found in many Salvation Army tunes. Calvert used these elements to create unity among the themes even though every section essentially uses a different melody. The march has a couple of particularly interesting features. The second strain is comprised of phrases of seven and nine bars, unusual in a march, and the melody of the fifth strain has a notable descending tritone, which generates a slyly humorous effect. Several instances of simultaneous ascending and descending chromatic passages appear, a configuration that is

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often found in Calvert’s music. Annotations in the score indicate that the march was performed, presumably at the camp. Calvert probably intended this work for the faculty band at Lac L’Achigan; the scoring is at times very transparent, and Calvert ensured that every part was interesting and quite challenging. Calvert did not teach at a Salvation Army camp during the summer of 1954. Instead, he directed the senior boys’ section of a large Jewish summer camp in Quebec, primarily organizing sporting events. At this time, the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal did not pay its teachers during the summer months, so they needed to find alternative income. Calvert probably applied to the Jewish camp because of the substantial fee paid to the counsellors.149 He returned to Salvation Army camps in the summers of 1955 and 1958. That first year, at Jackson’s Point, Ontario, he held a position similar to that he had previously filled at Lac L’Achigan.150 The later year, he taught at the celebrated camp at Star Lake near New York City where he conducted the student “A” band, which was superseded only by the faculty band conducted by Erik Leidzén.151 Erik Leidzén (1894–1962) was born in Sweden but emigrated to the United States in 1915. He held several important positions leading Salvation Army bands, especially the New York Centennial Memorial Temple Band, and wrote hundreds of vocal and instrumental works for the Salvation Army. A busy New York musician, he taught theory at the Ernest Williams School in New York, directed the Swedish Glee Club of Brooklyn, and conducted the Arma Company Band. He taught at the National Music Camp, Interlochen, Michigan, and from 1951 to 1962, at the Salvation Army’s Star Lake camp.152 While very highly respected within the Salvation Army, Leidzén was also well known in the concert band world for his work with Edwin Franko Goldman (1878–1956) and the Goldman Band of New York in preparing editions of historical band music (R. Wagner, Trauersinfonie; S. Rachmaninoff, Italian Polka; etc.), orchestral transcriptions, and original compositions. He and Calvert became very good friends, and Leidzén helped to advance Calvert’s career. In 1959, he recommended Calvert to the directors of Camp-of-the-Woods, a Christian camp at Speculator, New York, and in 1962, he endorsed Calvert to follow him as music director of Camp Redwood Glen, a summer Salvation Army camp near Santa Cruz, California.153 In acknowledgement of their admiration for Leidzén, the

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Calverts named their son after him, and Leidzén and his wife Maria served as Eric Calvert’s godparents.154 By the later 1950s, Calvert’s reputation within the Salvation Army had grown to the point where he was being invited to direct important events beyond Montreal. In late May 1958, he was the guest conductor when the North Toronto and Flint Michigan Songster Brigades visited the Detroit Citadel. Calvert conducted the mass choirs and contributed two organ solos based on popular Salvation Army melodies.155 Later the same year, he was guest conductor for a Thanksgiving weekend festival in Ottawa when the North Toronto Songster Brigade visited Parkdale Citadel. Again, Calvert conducted the mass choir and acted as chairman at the Saturday evening program.156 These types of engagements continued for a number of years. In October 1961, he appeared as guest conductor with the New York Staff Band at the Salvation Army Centennial Memorial Temple in New York,157 and apparently, as chairman of a music festival in December 1965, he “piloted the program in a pleasing and informative way” when the Brantford Band visited Ottawa’s Parkdale Citadel. His Reckon on Me for cornet solo and band was performed at this event.158 Outside of the Salvation Army, Calvert was also developing a considerable reputation. As early as 1956, he was engaged as adjudicator for the Junior Choir Festival of the Sunday School Association of the United Church of Canada in Montreal. Twelve choirs took part.159 He was an invited guest speaker at the prestigious Frances Goltman Piano Clinic in Victoria Hall, Westmount, 11 February 1958,160 and in both 1960 and 1961, he was the instrumental music adjudicator at the well-respected St Lambert Music Festival. In the festival’s advertising, he was identified as a “well-known Montreal musical personality.”161 Considering the extent of his activities in several fields, it seems incredible that Calvert could have had any time to compose during the 1950s. Yet, it was then that he established himself as a composer of note, at least within the Salvation Army and among the brass band fraternity generally. In 1950, he composed Stand Firm for four trombones, his first venture into writing chamber music, other than the lost cornet trio of 1945. This work, unique among the composer’s extant early compositions, provides interesting insights into his ability and approach to writing for chamber ensembles. Calvert submitted it to Salvationist Publications, and while they chose not to publish it, the

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score remained, essentially lost, in the files of their music department for more than four decades. Fred Creighton, a Salvationist and friend of the Calverts, found it in 1997 and sent a copy to Grace.162 This copy is now preserved in the Morley Calvert Fonds at McMaster University. Calvert’s quartet is based on four melodies drawn from the Salvation Army Tune Book, Song Book, and Band Tune Book. All the songs have a common theme: a commitment to “standing up” for Christ. The work is, in fact, a Selection in the Salvation Army sense but scored for a chamber ensemble instead of a band. As he had done in his Selection: In His Name, Calvert carefully integrated his piece by linking the songs with transitions built on motives from the tunes that are sometimes extended through imitative, harmonic development. Creating contrast was more difficult considering the limited, monochromatic instrumentation. Calvert addressed this issue by setting each tune in a different texture and varying the tempo, style, and tonality, as well as moving the melody through the voices. An eight-bar introduction is based on the first motive of the chorus from the first song, Stand Like the Brave. The harmony initially establishes the tonic, B-flat major but, surprisingly, quickly turns to B-flat minor, an expressive gesture that is not suggested anywhere in the tune. Stand Like the Brave is presented as a chorale. The harmony is functional within B-flat major with occasional secondary dominants but is decorated by non-harmonic tones and half-step motion that generates some less-common sonorities. In the transition to the second tune, I’ll Stand for Christ, a rhythmic motive from the first tune is developed, but the most surprising element is a two-bar fanfare, marked Quasi 2.1 Stand Like the Brave, Stand Firm, bars 9–32

œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ™œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ? bb 43 œ œ œ œ ˙ œ™ f

mp

œ œ œ ˙ ? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ Chorus

? bb ˙ f

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˙

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˙™

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Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer 2.2 Stand Like the Brave, Stand Firm, bars 36–38

Molto Meno Mosso Quasi Tromba

n>œ œ b >œ n>œ b >œ n>œ ? b 43 nœ œ œ œ œ nœ ‰ b J ff >œ > >œ n>œ > ? bb 43 nœ œ œ ‰ #œ œ œ œ œ #œJ

59

>˙ ˙

œ œ ‰ Œ J

Œ

>˙ n˙

œ ‰ Œ œJ

Œ

Tromba (like trumpet[s]), that abruptly leaps from B-flat to an E major chord, then rapidly alternates that chord with a F dominant seventh. Calvert ensured that the fanfare would stand out by slowing the tempo, marking it fortissimo (the first appearance of this dynamic), and accenting every note. The G major chord that concludes the fanfare, created mostly through half-step motion and a common tone, begins the modulation to the new key, C major. The conspicuousness of this passage and its uniqueness in context implies a programmatic image, but what that might be is not apparent, unless it is an allusion to the first words of the previous song, “O Soldier, awake! For the strife is at hand,” that is, a reference to the reveille trumpet call that rouses soldiers in encampment. Calvert’s setting of I’ll Stand for Christ is lyrical and homophonic in texture providing effective contrast. The melody is played by the third trombone and is accompanied by chords separated by rests that allow it to project easily. The harmony is comprised almost exclusively of common chords in the tonic (C major). This tune also has a chorus, and at this point, the music becomes more contrapuntal with short melodic figures in several voices and the harmony is somewhat enriched, especially by references to the relative minor, A minor. Calvert completed this section by repeating the last phrase of the tune in a different harmonization that produces a firm cadence in the tonic. The transition that follows is short (five bars) and features a melodic idea based on the previous tune and played by bass trombone. The modulation to the new key, A-flat major, occurs very quickly, passing through V7/ vi–vi–V7–I. The third tune, Dare to be a Daniel (Standing by a Purpose True in the Song Book), is arranged as a march with firm “tramping” notes on the beat, off-beats, and brief fanfare figures in the accompaniment. Calvert’s tempo (quarter note = 132) is significantly faster than the

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-. -. -. -. -. -. œœ œœ b œœ œœ œœ œœ ? bb b 44 b - - -. -. ? bb b 44 œ œ œ. œ. œ œ b -œ. -œ. œ œ œ œ

-. œœ

-. -. -. œœ œœ™ n œ œ J

-œ. œ

œ -œ.

-œ. œ

-. -. œœ œ œ

-œ. -œ. -œ. œ œ œ

2.3 Dare to Be a Daniel, Stand Firm, bars 67–69

speed specified in the Band Tune Book (quarter note = 100), which contributes to the march feel. Considering the rather simple form and texture, it seems surprising that this section displays the most dissonant harmony in the entire work. The third phrase of the tune is harmonized by major chords, unresolved sevenths, quintal sonorities, and added-note chords. The intent of this unusual passage may be programmatic. The words of the third and fourth verses of the song, as represented by this music, are: “Headlong to the earth would fall” and “Satan and his hosts defy.” Calvert was well aware that Salvationists would know these words and perhaps understand his use of dissonance in setting them. Another passage that is certainly programmatic occurs at the third phrase of the chorus. Calvert set the text “Dare to have a purpose firm” in unison in all voices. Only one full statement of the tune appears, but Calvert extended it by repeating the four phrases of the chorus in reverse order. This extension is further enhanced by canonic imitation of the “purpose firm” phrase. The transition is comprised of a sequential development of the first motive of Dare to be a Daniel that constitutes a rather complex modulation to the new key, B-flat major. The music quickly passes through A-flat major, A major, D minor, G minor, a chord in fourths, and arrives on an F dominant seventh under a fermata in preparation for the new tonality. The setting of the fourth tune, Stand Up for Jesus, also deviates significantly from the usual performance of this melody. The tempo (quarter note = 126) is again much faster than that stipulated in the Band Tune Book (quarter note = 96), and Calvert increased the impression of swiftness by halving the note values. His intention was probably to create a closing section with energy and momentum.

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œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ™ œ ? bb 44 œ ™™ œ œ ™™ ‰J œ ‰J œ J J J Vigoroso e ben marcato

f

>œ -œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ œ œ œ™ ‰ ? bb œ œ œ œ f

2.4

Stand Up for Jesus, Stand Firm, bars 95–102

The four parts play mostly in unison, or near-unison, rhythm, and brief chromaticisms create occasional non-functional harmonic progressions. Since the first period of the tune is repeated, Calvert created balance by repeating the second period as well. However, in contrast to the first statement of the second period, which is marked forte, the repeat presents the first two phrases piano and the third phrase (forte) in unison. The fourth phrase is broadened out to effect a very dramatic elision into the coda. Again, Calvert’s intentions were probably programmatic. The words of the third phrase, “Bright emblem of Salvation,” referring to the Salvation Army flag, are highlighted by the unison statement and the preceding piano dynamic, and the culminating text of the song, “Of Holiness and Love,” become climactic because of the much slower tempo (molto lento) and longer note values. The coda is very fast (quarter note = 160) and is strikingly set up by the molto lento that precedes it. It consists of an extended cadence in B-flat major; however, in the second last bar, the tempo abruptly slows on a loud, sustained G-flat major chord,163 a lovely surprise that leads to a quick dominant-tonic cadence. In this piece, part of a small oeuvre of chamber works by this composer,164 Calvert demonstrated that he was capable of writing effectively in this genre. While the composition does display occasional awkwardness (the fanfare in the transition between the first two tunes, for example), for the most part it exhibits a commendable blend of unity and contrast, and a long-range profile that maintains interest through increasing momentum. If published, Stand Firm would undoubtedly attract the attention of trombonists everywhere. Early in the 1950s, three of Calvert’s smaller works for brass band were either performed or performed and published. Calvert conducted his Canada For God (1952), scored for four-voice chorus and

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brass band, in early summer 1952 at a youth rally in the Montreal Citadel marking the visit of the international youth secretary to Ottawa and Montreal. He conducted it again in the spring of 1953 at the first of the annual youth councils for that year held in Montreal,165but the work remains in manuscript. Canada For God appears to be an obscure Salvation Army song. Grace Calvert believes that it was written for the International Youth Congress held in London, UK, during the summer of 1950, which both she and Morley attended as delegates.166 The autograph score and parts held in the Morley Calvert Fonds at McMaster University indicate that it had three verses set in identical fashion, plus a brief introduction and coda. The autograph score has only a few words of text written in, indicating that the choir must have sung from another, independent score, which seems to have been lost. A reference to this work in the Salvation Army online journal, Theme Online, suggests that it was a unison song.167 With existing resources, it has been impossible to ascertain whether Calvert both harmonized it and produced the band accompaniment, or whether he contributed only the brass band scoring. For the most part, the band doubles the choir, but when the full band is playing Calvert often writes the instrumental parts as short notes with rests, or fanfare figures, to ensure that the voices can be heard. At other times the singers are exactly doubled, but with solo instruments. The band also contributes pitches and short lines that are not in any choral part. Toward the end, Calvert inserted the opening motive of “O Canada” into the horns, who present it twice at different pitch levels, perhaps an example of the composer’s wit, or a reference to a word or phrase in the missing text. Its inclusion might affirm that this song was indeed written for the Canadian delegation to the 1950 International Youth Congress in London. Overall, Canada For God is a straightforward work with few performance challenges. This song seems to have been primarily associated with youth groups, which is undoubtedly why it was performed at young people’s events in 1952 and 1953. Calvert’s first Meditation, on the hymn tune Irish, was published in the Salvation Army’s General Series in 1953.168 The Meditation has been a central part of Salvation Army devotional music virtually from the adoption of brass band music as an essential part of the Army’s services. The earliest works (dating from 1902) were based on single hymn tunes set in multiple verses in which the composer attempted to reflect the words of the various stanzas. As the form developed, the

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episodes between verses became more elaborate, allowing composers to offer personal responses to the text. By as early as 1924, Meditations began appearing that employed more than one tune. The first of these was Bramwell Coles’s Man of Sorrow, which used four songs but was issued as a Meditation because of the seriousness of the subject and the use of one tune as a unifying device. At essentially the same time, composers began employing distinctive motives, often derived from the hymn tune, as unifying devices. This process evolved into the “text-motif,” a specific musical idea that represented a particular phrase of text. Generally, Meditations needed to be short (approximately five minutes) to avoid interrupting the progress and unity of the liturgical message being expressed in the service. However, a second type of Meditation, intended for use at festivals and not permitted in services, appeared with the establishment of the “Festival Series” in 1923. These works were longer, often employed multiple tunes, and incorporated programmatic elements to reflect images in the text. Meditations in both the devotional and festival formats have been, and remain, one of the primary genres through which Salvation Army composers demonstrate musical imagination and sophistication.169 In more recent years, the distinction between the two types has largely fallen away, with many works that in the past would have been deemed inappropriate for devotional use now being used interchangeably between festival and service.170 Calvert’s Meditation on Irish is something of a throwback to the earlier style. It uses only the title tune, and the twenty-two-bar introduction is based on a motive derived directly from the melody, which is initially presented by euphonium, and reappears in various guises in the introductory, transitional, and concluding material. Although the text sung to this melody has four verses plus refrain, Calvert set only three verses separated by substantial interludes. 2.5

Irish, bars 22–36

b 3 &b b 4 œ ˙ mf

œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ

b œ œ œ œ œ &b b œ œ™ œ œ œ ˙

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

œ

œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

Œ

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A Life in Music

? b 43 œ œ bb œ mp

œ œ œ

œ œ™ œ œ œ Œ J

2.6

Irish, bars 1–4

Relating the music directly to the words is difficult because of the difference in the number of verses, but it seems reasonable to associate the text of the first verse171 with Calvert’s first verse, which is presented in a simple contrapuntal texture and harmonized diatonically. The following interlude is a continuous development of the motive from the introduction and effects a crescendo to the first climax (bars 52–53) and a modulation to the next key (F major). Calvert’s second verse is the most remarkable section in the piece. The tune is presented as a canon at the octave between first cornet and first trombone accompanied by a bass line and countermelodies in first horn, first baritone, and euphonium that employ motives from the tune. Calvert may have intended this music to correlate to the words of the refrain – “Help me dear Saviour, / Thee to own, / And ever faithful be, / And when Thou sittest on the throne, / Dear Lord, remember me” – with the canon representing multiple people asking for forgiveness and salvation. As such, it projects a deeply poignant image. The interlude that follows is extended and again based exclusively on the motive from the introduction. However, these bars present a complex, agitated, texture (including a canon at the interval of a second) that may be Calvert’s personal response to the text of the next verse, which addresses humanity’s responsibility for the Crucifixion. The final verse returns to the calm character and style of the first verse and is extended by additional canonic activity to form a quiet cadence. In many ways, it is not surprising that Calvert’s Irish was his first work accepted by Salvationist Publications. It conforms to one of the accepted forms for Meditations and is mostly conservative harmonically. However, at the same time, it is compositionally interesting, expressive, and spiritually significant. Through the early 1950s, Calvert continued to write music for the Salvation Army with increasing success. However, his compositional career received its first significant recognition when his Hymn Tune Arrangement My All Is on the Altar, written in 1951 and his first major success, was played in manuscript by the International Staff Band (ISB ) of the Salvation Army, based in London, UK, at a bandmaster’s council in Clapton, England, on 1 November 1953 and was recorded by the

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer 2.7 My All Is on the Altar, bars 33–34

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65

˙˙ ˙

same band in 1956.172 It was published in the General Series in September 1954173 and remains one of Calvert’s most popular compositions. The autograph score is dated 5 July 1951. In Salvation Army usage, Hymn Tune Arrangements consist of simple settings of short, well-known tunes. Most are not longer than sixteen bars and have no specific word associations since the tunes often accompany several different texts. Composers normally set three or four verses in contrasting keys and in different scorings. These arrangements are performed in services as preludes or postludes (when permitted), during Offertories, or as special band selections. When Calvert wrote My All Is on the Altar, the Hymn Tune Arrangement was a rather new addition to the Salvation Army music program. The first such work specifically identified as a Hymn Tune Arrangement, Philip Catelinet’s Weber, was published in 1944.174 In several ways the hymn My All Is on the Altar is an unusual choice for a Hymn Tune Arrangement. The tune is thirty-two bars long and has a chorus or refrain, making it longer than normal for this genre. Specific words associated with the tune are well known and project a powerful message of personal commitment to God. The composer understood that a congregation hearing this tune would relate it to that particular text, and he incorporated a number of programmatic devices to ensure that his music would support the known textual meaning.175 Perhaps the most effective of these occurs in every verse when the music reflects the words, “waiting, waiting,” of the chorus (refrain).176 In the first verse, when the music arrives at these words, every part is in unison rhythm except for the bass, which has a dominant pedal. The music seems to momentarily stand still (see example 2.7). At this point in the second verse (bars 65–66), Calvert employs a similar approach. Although the scoring is fuller, all the voices are again in unison rhythm, except for the bass pedal point, which is in hemiola against the primary pulse. The hemiola supports the “hesitation”

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b 3 & b b 4 œœœ ˙˙˙˙ œœœœ ˙˙˙ ˙ mp Cornets

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Horns/Baritones

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Trombones

Euph/Basses

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2.8 My All Is on the Altar, bars 1–8

in the music, but also adds momentum. In verse three (bars 97–98), the composer utilized a different, but equally effective, procedure. The volume is suddenly reduced from forte to mezzo-piano, and the texture is simplified to four single lines, with the melody only in solo cornet. While the momentum does not stop, the intimate texture projects a poignancy quite equal to that of the other instances.177 My All Is on the Altar opens with an eight-bar introduction, based on motives from the hymn tune, which establishes the mood and the key (E-flat major). It also presents some of the most complex harmony in the entire piece, created, as in other works, through parallel chromatic descending inner lines and strategically placed non-harmonic tones. The work opens with cornets alone answered in canon by trombones. The first verse is a chorale-style setting that essentially employs only common chords in the tonic. The tune is always in the solo cornet to assure that it will be heard and recognized. At the chorus (refrain), Calvert considerably reduced the scoring to initiate a more intimate mood, and probably to prepare for his programmatic image at the words “waiting, waiting.” The second verse is in the key of the major mediant (G major). The harmony is somewhat more complex, largely the result of additional contrapuntal strands, non-harmonic tones, and occasional brief chromatic passages. Calvert effects a textural inversion by placing the

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

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melody in the trombones and silencing the cornets except for a few new melodic fragments. In the autograph score, the word “All” at the beginning of the chorus is emphasized with a sforzando in all the parts, another means of projecting the meaning of the text by reinforcing the concept of complete spiritual commitment. Curiously, this marking does not appear in the published score, apparently an unfortunate editorial decision.178At this point, most of the melody is transferred to the horns, with the final phrase appearing in second cornet and flugelhorn, providing other effective changes in timbre. The final verse is again in the tonic and is more fully scored and intense than either of the other verses. Like the previous verse, this section includes multiple contrapuntal lines, neighbouring notes, suspensions, and passing tones that expand the harmony beyond what was previously presented. The thicker scoring makes the dramatic reduction in texture and volume in the chorus at “waiting, waiting” an especially thrilling moment musically as well as texturally. In the closing bars, the melodic fragments introduced by the cornets in verse two are recalled, adding an effective touch of musical unity. Calvert’s Hymn Tune Arrangement My All Is on the Altar fulfilled the liturgical purpose of such compositions by remaining restrained and ensuring that the text was always easily audible. However, as observed above, behind its apparently simple facade, a number of subtleties show that Calvert was in full control of his creative skills compositionally, musically, and spiritually. Undoubtedly, it is these nuances, not always immediately apparent, that contributed to the work’s initial success and have kept it in the performance repertoire of Salvation Army bands (and brass bands generally) worldwide. Other works by Calvert continued to be performed and published through the 1950s. On 20 September 1954, his The Junior Soldier, written specifically for inclusion in the new Canadian Brass Band Journal for Smaller Bands, was premiered (in manuscript) at a festival in Toronto that was intended as a practical introduction and demonstration of the new series. The composition was published early in 1955179 in that journal. Also published in the same journal was his Meditation Walking with Jesus, and when Book Two of the Canadian Brass Band Journal was published in 1958, it included Calvert’s Selection – My Pilot’s Face. The Canadian Brass Band Journal was produced by the Territorial Young People’s Department and was intended to expand the repertoire

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available to Young People’s Bands and smaller corps bands. The difficulty levels were deliberately restricted, and the style was primarily devoid of intricacies in harmony or counterpoint. Ranges and keys were likewise limited, and the instrumentation reduced to pairs of cornets, horns, baritones/trombones, euphonium, bass, and simple percussion. However, the marches, selections, and meditations that comprised this series could be performed by as few as four players – first cornet, second cornet/flugelhorn/first horn, first baritone/trombone, and bass.180 The limitations imposed by the series put restrictions on what Calvert could create, but there is no evidence that he felt especially inhibited in producing these short works. They display modest, but effective, counterpoint and are carefully scored to ensure every part has interesting material. Brief chromaticisms, suspensions, and other non-harmonic tones enhance the expressivity of the clear-cut harmonic context. Calvert was, above all, a practical musician and deeply concerned about the musical mission of the Salvation Army. He undoubtedly considered it a privilege to contribute to the success of bands at all levels and in all situations across Canada. Calvert was about to experience what must have been one of the most memorable and personally reassuring moments of his life. During their tour of Canada and the United States in the spring of 1957, the ISB included his My All Is on the Altar and his Meditative Study: For Our Transgressions, one of his most musically sophisticated, technically demanding, and spiritually inspired compositions, which had been published less than two months earlier. At their performance in Montreal (29 April 1957), with Calvert in the audience, the leader of the ISB, Colonel Fairbank, personally thanked him for his music already given to the Salvation Army and for his intention to provide more in the future.181 This endorsement from the leader of an ensemble of such eminence must have been enormously encouraging to his creative imagination. For Our Transgressions was to become one of his most admired compositions. Calvert’s Meditative Study: For Our Transgressions is a reflection on the Christian meaning and experience of Easter, and its composition presented Calvert with a challenge that took some time for him to resolve. The autograph score is dated “May 1952 – Jan 1955” and was published in March 1957.182 The composer addressed this long incubation period in a short article written for inclusion in an analysis of the piece

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

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that appeared in the Salvation Army journal, The Musician, in April 1957183 and was reissued in the War Cry a few months later. I assume that, sooner or later, every Christian has the privilege of experiencing Easter as I did some six years ago when, as a young man of twenty-two, the full purpose of the Calvary story reached my heart. … for the first time in my life I prayed with Him in the Garden, stood with Him in Pilate’s hall, bore the cross to Calvary, and awoke as if from death to a life of divine meaning and purpose. So real was this experience that I felt compelled … to turn men’s faces to a fresh look at Calvary and beyond. Mine was such a humbling experience that I was unable to record my feelings adequately in the medium of expression in which I felt most comfortable – music. The task of conveying the ugliness and despair of the Cross and the calm delight that comes to those who accept the Risen Saviour, was too much for my undeveloped musical technique; try as I might, the sounds I sought to record were not forthcoming … the sincerity of purpose was not there. It was not until five years after my initial attempt that I was able to feel reasonably content that my arrangement of these beautiful and well-known songs might possibly bless and uplift others. They were not wasted years, but filled with constant effort to improve myself both spiritually and musically, for without this equal development I knew I could never fulfill my hopes of completing the work. And so, as that new revelation came to me, I pray that the Lord may find a use for this arrangement of these inspired songs; that, while the music is prayerfully played, the listener might meditate upon the words in a new light and receive a clearer or even new vision of the meaning of Easter.184 The title refers to the description of the “Suffering Servant” in Isaiah 53:5: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and with His stripes we are healed.”185 The piece employs four hymn tunes drawn from the Salvation Army Chorus Book, Tune Book, and Song Book: Out from His Wounded Side; There is Life for a Look; The Wounds of Christ

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are Open; and I Shall Know Him by the Nailprints in His Hands. In general, the choruses tend to be quite short; the songs are longer and often have both verses and refrain. The work was something of an instant success and has achieved enduring popularity both within the Salvation Army and among brass band conductors generally, although it presents substantial performance challenges. After the ISB played it during its Canadian/American tour in April and May 1957, less than two months after publication, other bands took it up. The Montreal Citadel Band performed it in November 1957 as part of their Harvest Festival and again in May 1958 during a visit to the North Toronto Citadel.186 The Earlscourt Citadel Band, Toronto performed it in December 1957 at a musical salute presented during a meeting in Toronto of representatives from Canada and the United States to discuss the Salvation Army’s TV series. Appropriately, the work followed a reading of Isaiah 53.187 The New York Staff Band played it in Toronto in November 1961 as a tribute to the composer. The performance was excellent: “For Our Transgressions … was sympathetically played and greatly enhanced by the silence prevalent at its conclusion.”188 The work was heard again in an important venue when the Chicago Staff Band performed it at the Southern Ontario Divisional Congress in Hamilton, Ontario, in October 1963.189 And in June 1964, the Dovercourt Citadel Band, one of Toronto’s most respected corps bands, included it in their program when touring western Pennsylvania.190 These early performances established the work in the repertoire, a place it has never relinquished.191 It also appears regularly in brass band performances outside of Salvation Army venues and has been recorded a number of times. Calvert’s For Our Transgressions was published under the unusual rubric Meditative Study, rather than Meditation, probably because it falls somewhere between the devotional and the festival meditation. While it was certainly intended to be performed during a service, particularly a Good Friday or Easter service, it also incorporates the overt programmatic elements and multiple tunes characteristic of works intended for performance at festivals. At more than seven minutes in length, it is also more extended than was usual for the Meditation form. However, as Ronald Holz points out, the work was released in the General Series and is therefore intended to be used in regular Salvation Army services.192

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer 2.9 For Our Transgressions, bar 1–3 (Out From motive)

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71

j‰ Œ Œ œ

p

For Our Transgressions is a highly sectionalized composition, a result of the four hymn tunes that Calvert felt were necessary to fulfill his spiritual concept of the piece. He was certainly cognizant that from a musical point of view, multiple sections employing unrelated thematic material could weaken the structure and potentially create a disjointed overall effect. He addressed this musical concern by devising a group of distinctive motives that appear throughout the work and bind together its diverse elements. The brief introduction (bars 1–8) opens with a unison statement of the first four notes of the hymn Out from His Wounded Side. This motive, dubbed the “Out From” motive in this study, is a major integrating element, appearing frequently throughout the work’s sections. Calvert immediately began developing it through imitation, inversion, and with the notes re-ordered. Imitation in various forms is an important textual device and another central unifying aspect of the piece as a whole. Section A (bars 9–19) introduces several new and significant components. A sinuous, descending triplet figure appears several times in canon between solo cornet and euphonium. The statements are connected by a rising scalic passage that comprises a D-flat major scale from leading tone to leading tone. Depicting the flowing of the blood from Christ’s wounds, this motive, labelled the “Flowing Blood,” recurs in original and altered forms in virtually every section of the composition. At the same time, another important idea, consisting of a harmonized, accented triplet, is presented by the middle voices. The chord, a C diminished triad, clashes against the predominately F major harmony. The accented triplet and the harmonic clash will appear later, portraying the hammering of the nails at the Crucifixion.193 Underneath these two elements, the trombones play a series of “surging figures,”194which consist of alternating F major and E-flat minor chords with a crescendo/diminuendo in each bar, which also will recur several times later in the piece.195

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2.10 (above) For Our Transgressions, bars 9–12 (Flowing Blood motive) 2.11A (opposite, top) Out from His Wounded Side, For Our Transgressions (Part 1), bars 19–33 2.11B (opposite, bottom) Out from His Wounded Side, For Our Transgressions (Part 2), bars 19–33

3 & bb 43 & 4 3 & bb 43 & b 43 Ϫ & 4 mfϪ 3 & b 4 mfϪ ? b 3 mf ? b 43 4 ?b 3 4 & bb & b & & bb & b & ?b ?b ?b &b &b &b & bb & &b ?b ?b ?b

∑ ∑ ∑j œj œ œœ j œœ ∑ ∑ ∑

3 3 ‰ 3 œ œœ œ œ œ œ3 ‰ œ œ 3œ œ œ œ œ œ3 œ 3œ 3œ œ ‰ mp œ mp œœ œœ ˙mp 3 # œ ˙ #œ mp ˙ ∑ # œ mp ∑ mp ∑

3

3

œ™ œ™ œ™ ˙™ ˙™ ˙™

œ œ œ

˙™ ˙™ ˙™

&b Ϫ

j œ œ

nœ nœ nœ

3

∑ ∑ ∑

œ œ œ

œœ ‰ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ ‰ 3œ 3 œ œ3 ‰ 3œ œ œ 3œ 3œ œ 3 3 ˙™ 3 ˙™ ˙™ ˙™ ˙™ ˙™ œ œ ˙™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙™ ‰3 3œ œ ˙™ 3 ‰ 3œ œ œ 3œ œ œ 3

3

3

Œ Œ Œ

3

3

3

œ

∑ œ

œ œ œ œ œ ‰ #œ œ œ 3

3

3

3

∑ œ

Œ ˙ Œ ˙ ˙ jŒ œ ™ œj œœ œ ™ œj œ ™ ∑œ œ ∑ ∑

˙ Œ ˙ Œ ˙ ŒŒ ˙ Œ ˙ n˙ ŒŒ n˙ Œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ œ bœ nœ n ˙œ n œ œ œ n œ œ Œœ b œ nœ 3 œ n3œ œ œ n33œ œ œ b33œ n œ

3

nœ ‰ #œ œ nœbbœœ nœ œœ œ œ ˙ ‰ #œ3 œ 3 nœ 3œ œ ˙ nœ ‰ #œ œ b3œ nœ œ 3œ œ ˙

Œ

∑

3

3 3

∑ ∑ ∑ j œj œ œ œ j œ œ ∑ ∑ ∑

3

3

3

3

3

3

n˙ ™ ‰ 33 3 œ3 ‰ # œ œ œ œ3 œœ œœ œ n œ n˙ ™ œ3 n œ # œ3 œ œ ˙‰ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ n˙˙™™ ˙ œ ˙™ œ˙™ œ œ b œ b œ œ œ œ b œ ˙ œ œ œ œbœbœ œ œ œ bœ ∑ ∑ œ 3œ œ b œ b3œ œ œ 3œ b œ 3 3 3 ∑

&b ˙

?b

‰ œ3 œ œ œ3#œ œ œ3 ˙ ‰ œ3 œ œ œ3#œ œ œ3 œ ˙ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙™ ˙™ ˙™ ˙™ 3 ˙™3 n œ œ œ œ#œ œ ˙™™ ‰#œ œn œ œ œ œ#œ œ ˙ ‰#œ3 œn œ3 ˙™ 3 œ œ œ œ ‰#œ œ 3 #3œ ˙ ™ Œ Œ Œ

3

˙™

œ œ œ œ mf

3

œ œ nœ 3

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A Life in Music

After bar 13, the Flowing Blood motive is intensified and combined with imitative statements of the Out From motive. Simultaneous triplet rhythms keep the “Hammering” motive in listeners’ minds. At this point, Calvert has established the necessary integrating constituents and can move on to the hymn tunes that form the basis of the work’s spiritual message. In section B (bars 19–33), the hymn Out from His Wounded Side is presented in full and largely unadorned. However, it is surrounded by quiet statements of the Flowing Blood motive, echoed through the ensemble, which may have been inspired by the words from the hymn, “Rivers of mercy are flowing, Out from His wounded side.” The B section elides with the C section (bars 33–50), which is a transition that cleverly looks both backward and forward. Further developments of the Flowing Blood motive, and rising sixteenth-note figures drawn from the D-flat major sweeps, relate to earlier music, but the first phrase of the hymn, There Is Life for a Look, also emerges, looking forward to the full statement of this tune in subsequent sections. There Is Life for a Look differs from the previous hymn tune in that it is drawn from the Tune Book (rather than the Chorus Book) and is a song with verse and refrain. When it appears in sections D and E (bars 51–75), the verse is stated simply but with a countermelody that complements the tune and generates additional momentum. The chorus (section E) is more fully scored, the countermelody is developed into running triplet passages that are reminiscent of the Flowing Blood motive, and a quotation from section A appears in the bass (bars 63– 64). Recalling earlier music at this point has a structural function. Bars 65–72 constitute a restatement and brief development of the first four bars of section A, which serve to remind listeners of some of the major components of the piece in preparation for the upcoming climax. molto rit U b 4 & b bb 4 Ó

? bb b 44 Πb

bœœœ œ

œœœœ 3

pp

U Œ

œœœœ Œ

> bœœœ œ b >œœ œ œ

>œ œœ œ >œ œœ œ

3

fff 3

>œ œœ œ >œ œœ œ

2.12 For Our Transgressions, bar 81

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

Con angoscia b 4 Œ œœ œœ œ œ w b b b 4 œ œ nw & marc. ff

? b b 44 bb

∑

ff

Œ œ œœœ œ œœœ w mf

n>œ œ n œ œ w Œ œ œ œ nœ w

? b b 44 Œ œ œ œ œ w bb marc.

75

ff

Œ Œ Ó

œ Œ œ œ œ nw

mf

mf

2.13 For Our Transgressions, bars 82–85 (motive and inversion only)

Section F, marked Lamentation, is only six bars long. Although it begins with a motive from There Is Life for a Look, it essentially consists of a development of bar 5 from Out from His Wounded Side, set in triplets that relate it to the Hammering motive. A swift crescendo from mp to fff culminates in a towering, accented polychord in triplet rhythm that is the climax of the piece and represents, as noted earlier, the hammering of the nails at the Crucifixion. The effect is enhanced by a sudden drop in volume to pianissimo immediately before the climax. From a spiritual perspective, this is the point of ultimate “ugliness and despair” as described in Calvert’s explanation of the work quoted earlier. From a musical point of view, it represents a culmination of the previous thematic elements and makes clear why the composer needed to recall earlier material, particularly the programmatic images. The subsequent section G (bars 82–90) is marked Con angoscia (with anguish) and is another transition that begins the process of evolving from despair toward “calm delight.” The loud volume from the previous bar is initially sustained, but quickly subsides, while the middle voices recall bar 5 of Out from His Wounded Side/Hammering motive that was the major feature of the huge crescendo to the climax. However, the main musical material of this section is again the Out From motive, developed canonically and antiphonally. Calvert sets this motive against its retrograde inversion, probably a spiritual message. The rising profile of the inversion against its descending counterpart may be a subtle suggestion of hope for the Resurrection, especially since, as this transition evolves, the inversion is scored progressively stronger.

76

b 4 & b bb 4 Œ

A Life in Music

∑

Ó

œ ™ nœ œ œ ˙ ? bb b 44 œ J b

I shall know Him

Œ œœ ˙ ˙

pp

The Wounds of Christ are open

pp

cresc.

œ œœ ˙

œ œ œ œ

˙

˙™

œœ

œ™ œ œ œ ™ nœ œ œ œ J J

cresc.

b 2 4 œœ ˙ œ œœ ˙ U & b bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ™ œ œœ 4 œ œœ 4 œœŒ Ó mf ˙ ˙ œ œ œœ œ 2 4 ? bb Œ Ó ∑ ∑ 4 ∑ 4 bb mf

2.14 For Our Transgressions, bars 98–106 (two hymns only)

Section H (bars 90–97) presents a single statement of the chorus, The Wounds of Christ are Open. The words indicate a clear progression toward an “acceptance of the Risen Christ”: “The wounds of Christ are open, / Sinner, they were made for thee; / There for refuge flee.” Calvert added an appealing, expressive touch by quietly recalling bar 5 of Out from His Wounded Side/Hammering motive and the Flowing Blood motive in the accompaniment. As is usual in this composer’s works, the harmony is sometimes complicated by the inclusion of chromatic inner lines. In section I (bars 98–110), the development of The Wounds of Christ Are Open is continued. However, Calvert simultaneously presents a second chorus, I Shall Know Him by the Nailprints in His Hands, the words of which express “the calm delight that comes to those who accept the Risen Saviour”: “I shall know Him, / When redeemed by His side I shall stand; / I shall know Him by the print of the nails in His hand.”196 At this point in the music, the spiritual conflict has been resolved and the listener has advanced from the horror of the Crucifixion to redemption by Christ’s sacrifice. A final statement of the Flowing Blood motive in solo euphonium unaccompanied leads to a short coda based on the Out From motive presented imitatively and antiphonally that links the whole work together and recalls its very beginning. Substantial discussion has been generated by the fact that this composition ends on an E-flat major chord while the key signature

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

77

is A-flat major. Holz suggests that the lack of resolution is deliberate and intended to continue the spiritual challenge after the music has stopped.197 Allen takes a different view, claiming that “the preceding chords resolve unto [the final chord] with a very real feeling of finality.”198 Another view is also possible. Since the work ends with the same material with which it began, perhaps the cadence on the dominant suggests that it could immediately start over, symbolizing the eternal search for spiritual enlightenment. Whether one feels that the piece is unresolved or resolved, it is apparent that Calvert went to considerable lengths to tonicize E-flat, ensuring that it sounded continuously, and mostly in the bass, for the final twelve bars. A few months after the work’s publication in March 1957, the following appeared in the War Cry: “For Our Transgressions establishes Songster-Leader M. Calvert as a composer who can interweave deep spiritual messages into a powerful appeal.”199 The writer, concentrating on the spiritual aspects of the piece, was probably unaware of its musical sophistication. In fact, the compositional complexity of the work caused Calvert some considerable soul searching. He was concerned that he had made it too intricate and that “showing off ” his compositional abilities in this way would distract from the spiritual message.200 Be that as it may, it is probably the musical sophistication, combined with the spiritual meaning, that has kept this work continuously in the repertoire of brass bands. It also continues to hold an important place in Calvert’s legacy. Its significance in this regard was affirmed by Eric Calvert in his eulogy at his father’s funeral in 1991: “[If ] Introduction, Elegy and Caprice represents the pinnacle of his work for brass bands, then the devotional For Our Transgressions illustrates the depth of his spiritual experience – a journey with his Lord to the victory of perfect peace.”201 Calvert was often bothered by the editing of his compositions by the music department of Salvationist Publications. For Our Transgressions provides a good example of the liberty editors took with his works and his concerns about them. The trombone passages, called “surging figures” by Allen,202 are written as glissandos in the autograph score but were changed to slurs in the published version. When Calvert asked editor Charles Skinner why the glissandos had been removed, he was told that they were rather “grotesque.” Calvert’s perfect response: “The Crucifixion was grotesque.”203 This work has been performed without the glissandos for decades; however, should

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A Life in Music

? 98 Œ ‰ b

s. œg™lis œ ™

Œ ‰

œ g™ liss. œ™

Œ ‰

f

f

gliss.

? 98 Œ ‰ œ ™ œ™ b

gliss.

™ Œ ‰ œ bœ ™

gliss. ™ œ™ œ Œ ‰

f

gliss.

? 98 Œ ‰ œ ™ bœ ™ b

f

gliss.

Œ ‰ œ ™ bœ ™

gliss. œ Œ ‰ ™ bœ ™

f

œ

œ

? b 43 Œ

œ

œ

? b 43 Œ

œ

bœ

? b 43 Œ

ss. œg™li œ ™

f

œ

œ

Œ

œ

bœ

Œ

Œ

œ

bœ

Œ

Œ

Œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

bœ

f

f

f

2.15A For Our Transgressions, bars 9–11 (autograph score) 2.15B For Our Transgressions, bars 9–11 (published score)

a conductor wish to truly present it as Calvert intended, they certainly ought to be re-inserted in the several places where these figures occur. One other work from the 1950s deserves special consideration. One of Calvert’s most harmonically advanced compositions is, surprisingly, his setting of What a Friend We Have in Jesus, one of the most widely known of Christian hymns. The origin of this work is obscure, but the score is dated June 1957. Presumably, it was written for the Songster Brigade at the Montreal Citadel. Calvert was director of this group at the time, but the challenges inherent in performing this composition may have taken it beyond their capabilities. The work seems to have been seldom performed, but it has been recorded.204 What a Friend We Have in Jesus seems an unusual choice for a venture into virtual atonality. In Salvation Army usage, this hymn is

Student, Teacher, Conductor, Performer, Composer

79

sung to three different tunes; however, the title tune is by far the most common. Calvert’s setting is completely original, and his reimagining of this very familiar hymn with a new melody and harmony that does not settle into a key until the last two chords did stimulate some controversy. When it was performed at a worship service in California in the 1960s with Calvert and his family present, some of the older Salvationists were quite disturbed.205 Calvert set all three verses of the hymn as an A–B–A form. He apparently found meaning in the second verse that differed from the first and third, although what that might have been is not immediately apparent.206 Melodically and harmonically, this verse is related to the others, but it does not duplicate them in any significant way. Moreover, the harmony is more complex with chords that do not fit into any tertian structure, unusual parallelisms, and additional chromaticism. Calvert’s new melody fits the words well, but the most remarkable aspect of this piece is the harmony, which comprises virtually continuous seventh chords of various kinds (diminished, dominant, minor, major) that give the music an unsettled quality with very few cadential points. On the few occasions when cadences do appear they are almost invariably in the middle of a phrase – not at a resting point – or decorated with added notes.

2.16 What a Friend We Have in Jesus, bars 1–8

j œ nœ œ œ nœ œ

#3 œ & 4 œœ œ ##œœ ™™ Very expressive

p What a

? # 43 œ œ œ œ

friend

œœ™™

p

&

we have in

œœ œœ œ œ J

œœ

n œœ

œ œ

œœ

Je - sus,

œœ Œ All our sins œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ

œ œ™ œ œ œœ œœ

and griefs

# ˙ œ œj œ œ œœ œ nœœ™™ bœJ œœ œ œœ ##œœ #œœb#œœ nœœ bœœ n œœ b œœ bear;

What a

priv

- i - lege to

car - ry

Ev' - ry - thing to God in

˙˙ prayer

œ™ j œ œ œ œ ? # ˙œ œ œœ œœ b œ ™ nœœ œ nœ œ #œ bœœ nœœ œ nœ œ œ œ ˙ œ b œ œ bœ J ˙

j œ œ œ œ

to

Œ Œ Œ Œ

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A Life in Music

Most of Calvert’s music, while largely tonal, stretches the boundaries of the keys through chromaticism and non-diatonic harmony. What a Friend We Have in Jesus has all of these elements, but the saturation of sevenths reaches further afield than almost any of his other music, making the G major key signature irrelevant. One can only speculate why he chose this hymn and this time to push his music toward atonality. Perhaps he felt that this familiar hymn needed a more “serious” setting, or he deliberately intended to challenge his Salvation Army colleagues to embrace twentieth-century music more fully. On the other hand, this work may not have been intended for the Salvation Army at all. Perhaps it originated earlier than the date on the score, in a composition exercise from his time at McGill University. What cannot be denied is that this work is surprising in Calvert’s oeuvre and is challenging to sing, especially since he specified that it be performed a cappella. As can be seen in the example, lines often incorporate large skips and leap into dissonance, requiring thorough rehearsal. The harmonic context with so many unresolved sevenths does not provide singers with much aural support. However, Calvert marked it very expressive, and both the melody and the incessant forward impetus provided by the harmony offer many opportunities for sensitive interpretation. During the decade of the 1950s, Calvert completed his education, established himself as a superior teacher and conductor at two educational levels, developed a reputation as a professional musician, assumed a significant role in the work of his church and was recognized as an important composer. In ensuing decades his activities would shift in significant ways, but he would continue to develop a multi-faceted career with many challenges and accomplishments along the way.

3 Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer: 1960 – 1972 Calvert encountered many life changes around 1960 – in his Salvation Army work, his teaching, and in his composition. Perhaps the most immediate change was his appointment as bandmaster at the Montreal Citadel in January 1960 upon the retirement of Bandmaster Audoire. Not surprisingly, this event was covered in considerable detail in the Salvation Army journals, but it was also reported in the Montreal Star, an indication of the impression the Montreal Citadel and its band had made within the city.1 This position could not be taken on lightly. Calvert undoubtedly knew the eyes of his colleagues would be on him to see if he could maintain the high performance standard established and sustained through three decades by Bandmaster Audoire. He received reassurance of his capabilities when, two years later, the War Cry announced that “this band has for many years retained its strength … the present bandmaster … is maintaining the high standard set by his predecessor.”2 The challenges involved in conducting this band were associated not only with its celebrated performance level but also with maintaining its busy calendar of events. Their activities for the fall of 1961 are a reasonable illustration of the band’s regular schedule. In early October 1961, they served as the guest ensemble at the Maritime Congress in Moncton, New Brunswick, where they led processions, played performances, and accompanied the Congress Chorus. They were asked to play Calvert’s My All Is on the Altar as a contribution to the prayer meeting. Shortly after their return home, they were required to participate in weekend Songster meetings held in Montreal by Captain Brindley Boon3 and also played for patients at Montreal General Hospital on Sunday afternoon. A few weeks later, the band appeared at a

82

A Life in Music

special ceremony for the rededication of officers working with French Canadians. In December, the Citadel’s Sunday morning service was televised for the first time. Other “extra” events around this same time included playing for the opening of a new building for the Rosemount (Montreal) Corps in March 1961 and at the retirement ceremony of Sergeant-Major William Goodier, a long-time band member and former bandmaster, in March 1962.4 All of these responsibilities were, of course, in addition to the band’s regular weekly schedule of rehearsals, Sunday services, and other activities within the Citadel itself. The band continued to participate in important events in and beyond Montreal throughout the 1960s. In March 1962, they travelled to Toronto for the sixteenth annual tri-festival sponsored by Dovercourt Citadel and held at Bramwell Booth Temple. Whenever they appeared, the band drew large audiences. On one occasion, it offered the first performance of Calvert’s Meditation Nearer to the Cross. Calvert was asked to describe his new work, but demurred, saying he thought the music would speak for itself. Apparently, the audience listened very carefully and the “hushed silence at the conclusion proved the wisdom of [the composer’s] words.”5 Nearer to the Cross is based on a single hymn tune, Draw Me Nearer, from the Salvation Army Tune Book. When it was published in the Salvation Army’s General Series in December 1965, the performance notes in the score were written by a prominent Salvationist musician, 3.1 Nearer to the Cross, bars 15–30

b 4 & b b 4 œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ mp

œ

œ™ œ œ œ œ œ

I amThine, O Lord, I haveheard Thy voice, And it told Thy love to

˙™

œ™ œ

me: But I Chorus

b & b b œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ™

œ™ œ œ œ œ œ

b &b b œ œ œ œ œ

˙™

long to rise in thearms of faith, And be clos -er drawn to Thee! Draw me near- er, near er

near - er bless - ed Lord,

b &b b œ œ œ œ near - er near - er

œ™ œ œ

To

œ

œ

œ

the Cross where Thou hast

œ™ œ

died;

œ œ œ œ œ- œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ

near-er bless-ed Lord, To Thy prec - ious bleed - ing

Draw me

˙™

side!

Œ

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer

83

Captain Leslie Condon (1928–1983), who opined that it was “a worthy successor to Calvert’s other much-used contributions” and remarked that he had “again lived up to his reputation for providing thoughtful and moving music.”6 Calvert set three verses of the tune with introduction, coda, and two substantial interludes, although the second verse does not include the chorus. As in previous compositions, the composer carefully integrated his work by drawing fragments from the tune for the introduction, coda, and interludes. In fact, this work is an excellent example of the use of “text-motif ” as described by Holz.7 Three fragments in particular have significance.8 The first employs the initial four notes of the melody and are associated with the words “I am Thine.” The second uses the opening motive of the chorus where the text is “Draw me nearer.” These two text-motifs recur constantly throughout the work in their original forms or slightly modified. Salvationists, who knew the words associated with these two motives, would have been fully aware of the spiritual message being conveyed. The third fragment functions somewhat differently. Calvert created a new melodic idea based on the first inversion triad in bar 11 of the tune. This idea, which is associated with the words “the Cross where Thou hast died,” appears first in euphonium and is extensively developed through extension, canon, and sequence, often appearing as accompaniment to the main melody. Because this motive differs rhythmically from the actual tune and Calvert developed it to a substantial degree, listeners may not have made the association with the text; however, it was clearly important to the composer’s spiritual vision of this work. The work opens with eight consecutive canonical entries of the “I am Thine” motive, which culminate in the fragment associated with the text “And be closer drawn to Thee.” Despite the key signature of three flats, these entries generate an E diminished chord, which passes through two secondary sevenths to cadence on a G minor triad, immediately establishing an unsettled harmonic context. At the apex of the entries, Calvert introduced the new melodic idea (“the Cross where Thou hast died”), and this figure underlies virtually the entire 3.2 Nearer to the Cross, bars 16–17

? bb 44 Πb

œ

p

œ™ œ w œ œ

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A Life in Music

introduction. Continuous imitative development of the text-motifs comprises the rest of this section with a climax and cadence to E-flat major at bars 10–11. The intersection of the motives generates frequent suspensions and passing tones that add to the eloquence of the music. Bar 14, the concluding bar of the introduction, is surprising. The pitches present produce an incomplete B-flat major chord, but Calvert briefly introduces F-sharp, a curious astringency. However, the work begins on F-sharp and the final section will be in G-flat major, suggesting that the composer introduced the dissonance to recall the beginning and anticipate the ending. The first verse arrives at bar 15. The hymn tune is stated very simply by first cornet accompanied by a series of contrapuntal strands, all of which are comprised of motives from the introduction and, like the introduction, incorporate numerous expressive suspensions and other forms of on-the-beat dissonance. At the chorus, the texture is thickened with frequent references to previous music. The first interlude (bars 31–39) is virtually a continuous canonic development of a derivative of “the Cross where Thou hast died” motive, although other text-motifs also appear. The texture becomes complex, and chromaticisms produce numerous passing dissonances; however, Calvert maintains a rather quiet dynamic, carefully reserving climactic gestures for later in the work. Verse two is short (eight bars) since it does not include the chorus. Ostensibly in F major, the sense of key is quickly blurred by the trombones who play three parallel, descending, chromatic lines. Perhaps the chromaticism was intended to suggest the mystical character of the second verse of the hymn: “Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, / By the power of grace Divine; / Let my soul be washed from its every stain, / And my will be lost in Thine!” The ensuing interlude (bars 48–65) develops both the “Draw me nearer” and “the Cross where Thou hast died” motives canonically. It is one of the longest sections of the composition and rises to the most intense climax of the work. Interestingly, the climactic bars (bars 60–61) present a D-flat sonority within the presumed key of F major. Calvert was fond of introducing a chord on the flat sub-mediant at cadences and climaxes, but in this context, it begins the process of modulation to G-flat major, the key of the final verse. Initially, it seems odd that Calvert would place the major climax of his composition in an interlude that does not refer to any specific text; however, this powerful

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer 3.3 Nearer to the Cross, bars 60–61

allargando

-œ

f

ff

4 Ϫ &b 4

œ œ J -

œ bœ bœ >

85

j œ ‰ Œ

passage presents a form of retrograde inversion of “the Cross where Thou hast died” motive. Perhaps by transforming his motive in this way, he was alluding to the triumph of Christ’s resurrection after dying on the Cross. Despite full-ensemble scoring and complex texture involving multiple obbligatos, the final verse is essentially a long decrescendo from forte to pianissimo. It is not clear what text Calvert may have been thinking of with this setting, but both the third and fourth stanzas of the hymn refer to an individual’s personal relationship with the Lord; the quiet dynamics would be an appropriate representation of either. During the verse, the melody is presented by cornets supported by several contrapuntal lines, the most important of which is a running eighth-note countermelody in the middle voices. At the chorus, Calvert inverted the texture, placing the melody in the middle voices with a new countermelody above. This verse elides into the coda where the final two bars of the chorus (“Thy precious bleeding side”) are repeated several times, including a final statement in augmented note values. As he had in other Meditations, Calvert effected a very peaceful ending by slowing the harmonic rhythm, simplifying the harmony, and reducing surface rhythmic activity. The penultimate bar includes a poignant supertonic–tonic suspension, an expressive device that has been present throughout the work. As Condon asserted in his notes published in the score, Nearer to the Cross is indeed a “worthy successor” to Calvert’s earlier compositions and constitutes “thoughtful and moving music.” A superb example of the composer’s contrapuntal skill, it is thoroughly convincing both musically and spiritually and supports Calvert’s decision to allow it to speak for itself at the premiere. The audience apparently understood its message. The Montreal Citadel Band’s demanding schedule persisted in subsequent years. In October 1963, they participated in the Quebec and Eastern Ontario Divisional Congress in Ottawa where they “brought much blessing” and, among other works, presented what was probably the first performance of Calvert’s Reckon on Me for solo cornet and

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band.9 At the band’s annual supper in the spring of 1966, Calvert introduced a reflective Meditation in remembrance of Bandmaster Audoire, and in April, the Citadel Corps initiated an annual Easter Monday music festival in honour of the late bandmaster. At this event, young people competed for awards in voice, piano, and instrumental music, and Calvert presented the Corps with the band’s memorial to their former bandmaster, a velvet antependium10 embroidered with the Salvation Army crest in blue and gold. Calvert explained that the band felt this was a fitting memorial since it symbolized in a quiet and effective way the dedication to Salvationist principles modelled by Audoire in his life and work. The band concluded the event with an energetic performance of Captain Ray Bowes’s march Sunshine Mountain.11 Calvert and the band continued to participate in this event each year.12 In early July 1966, the band flew to Labrador City to take part in a weekend festival with the Labrador City Corps. They were warmly welcomed, and in his comments, Calvert stressed that music was secondary to spiritual impact in the mandate of Salvation Army bands.13 Calvert continued his personal engagements beyond Montreal as well. He served as guest conductor of the New York Area All-State High School Band in 1961, and in March 1962, he directed the thirteenth annual Band League Weekend at the Salvation Army Asbury Park (New Jersey) Corps, where he also spoke at the annual banquet and at the Sunday worship and Evangelistic services.14 He served as the director of music at a Quebec and Eastern Ontario Salvation Army camp in November 1962.15 In June 1968, he returned to the Asbury Park Festival of Music as guest conductor of the Citadel Band and Songsters and as visiting speaker.16 The following year, in early March 1969, Calvert was the leader and guest conductor of a Salvation Army festival held at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He planned to follow up this visit by taking the Montreal Citadel Band to a weekend festival in Rochester on 19–20 April 1969,17 although Grace Calvert does not think this visit occurred.18 In June 1969, at the first Territorial Conference of Salvation Army Music Leaders in Toronto, Calvert presented analytical comments on Salvation Army musical works, with the Canadian Staff Band performing excerpts supporting his observations.19 Canada’s Centennial year, 1967, was very busy for the Citadel band, and for Calvert personally. Expo 67 was the six-month long World’s Fair held in Montreal. Its two primary musical initiatives were the

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World Festival of Music and Katimavik, held in the Canadian Pavilion, which provided multiple venues for hundreds of performers from all over the world.20 The Citadel band played twelve times at Expo 6721 and hosted the many other Salvation Army bands from Canada and the United States that travelled to Montreal during the Centennial year to play at the World’s Fair. The Centennial year precipitated an unprecedented outpouring of artistic activity across the country. The federal government established the Centennial Commission (CC ) in 1963 to facilitate the creation of artistic works and assist in their presentation. In musical terms, the CC both commissioned works outright and partnered with many other groups to produce new compositions by Canadians. Ultimately, more than fifty composers were commissioned, and some 130 compositions created.22 The works embrace a very wide range of genre, style, and musical content, demonstrating that Canadian composers could write effectively in all of the progressive and more conservative approaches being used internationally.23 Harry Freedman’s Tangents, written for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, employs both strict and adapted serialism, and a numerical series often determines rhythm, meter, articulation, and other elements.24 By contrast, Milton Barnes’s Pinocchio, commissioned by the Niagara Symphony, is a rather traditional symphonic poem, neo-tonal in harmonic content. Elegy and Two Went to Sleep by Norma Beecroft, for Ten Centuries Concerts, Toronto, is based on poems by Leonard Cohen and scored for soprano, flute, percussion, and electronic sounds. The University of British Columbia (uBC ) and the CC commissioned from Barbara Pentland her Trio con alea, a twelve-tone string trio reminiscent of Webern. uBC also commissioned István Anhalt’s Credo for chamber choir, a work that includes essentially no tradition singing, mixing pre-recorded voices on tape with spoken improvisation. In his Two Contrasting Moods, written for the Festival Singers, Oskar Morawetz adopted a late nineteenth-century style appropriate to the era of the two poems by Archibald Lampman (1861–1899) on which it is based.25 Many composers also wrote from a specifically nationalist viewpoint. Numerous works were based on Canadian folk songs, an application of Marius Barbeau’s (1883–1969) often-expressed view that musical compositions using this material were an expression of the Canadian identity.26 William McCauley’s Canadian Folk Song Fantasy, scored for band and commissioned by the Ottawa School Board, uses at least one folk song

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from every province. Other works focussed on a more regional view. The CBC commissioned Godfrey Ridout to write Folk Songs of Eastern Canada for soprano Lois Marshall accompanied by either piano or chamber orchestra. Marshall also commissioned Anerca: Three Eskimo Poems from Harry Freedman, a work that essentially eliminates meter or any underlying sense of pulse especially in the first two sections.27 Nationalism was expressed in other ways as well. Oskar Morawetz, employing a more contemporary approach than in Two Contrasting Moods, set four poems by the Canadian poet Bliss Carman (1861–1929) for solo voice, solo instrument, and keyboard that incorporate line clusters, quintal harmony, and parallel seconds, probably because Carman lived well into the twentieth century. Barbara Pentland’s Suite Borealis for piano consists of five movements based on the same twelve-tone row and envisions a journey across Canada from east to west as the European forefathers of the country might have experienced it.28 This work is not specifically descriptive, but the movement titled Rapids is at the fastest tempo and Wide Horizons incorporates especially wide skips and widely spaced chords. However, perhaps the most impressive Centennial work on a Canadian theme is Harry Somers’s opera, Louis Riel. Written for the Canadian Opera Company, this full-length, three-act opera with a large cast, full orchestra, additional percussion, and electronic sounds has achieved remarkable success with both critics and audiences, including a glowing review in the prestigious journal, Opernwelt. Musically, the work encompasses atonality, folk tunes (English, French, Native Canadian), and sections of diatonic harmony, imaginatively blended for dramatic purposes.29 As will be seen, Calvert contributed to the celebrations with compositions that encompassed both the international and the nationalistic styles. In addition to his other responsibilities, he accepted two important Centennial commissions – one from the Montreal Brass Quintet that was supported by a grant from the CC , the other from the Earlscourt Citadel Band and its bandmaster, Brian Ring. The Lakeshore Concert Band was another of Calvert’s Centennial projects. It began operations in January 1967 as an instrumental music course in the Continuing Education Division of the Lakeshore Regional School Board,30 but also came about because many of Calvert’s former students, having finished high school, had no place to continue playing.31 The group developed quickly and became an independent organization serving as a community band in west Montreal, a func-

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tion it continues to fulfill today. The group’s purposes, as printed in its concert programs, are “to make quality band music available to the community; to provide an opportunity for capable musicians to meet in unique fellowship of satisfying music-making” –  aspirations very much in keeping with Calvert’s view on the role of music in society. The group’s first performances were two concerts at Expo 67 (16 September 1967 at 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., Bandshell B).32 It competed in the 1968 Quebec Music Festival and regularly participated in the Campbell Free Band Concerts in Montreal parks during the summer. Art Brewer, a member of the band and a former Calvert student at Westmount Junior/Senior High School, recalled one of these concerts when there were a lot of bugs landing on the performers and their music. Always the joker, Calvert advised them: “Don’t play the moving notes!”33 After little more than a year of operation, the LCB was performing musically sophisticated repertoire such as Sea Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sea Portrait by Homer LaGassey, and Yellowstone Suite by John Klein. Calvert also had the group share concerts with his high school band.34 By the early 1970s, the band was winning its classes in the competitive band festival at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNe ) in Toronto.35 It appears that Calvert finally had a concert band that could perform repertoire above the level possible by most high school bands. The Calverts’ summer music camp experience also changed significantly around 1960. During the summers 1959 to 1961, Calvert taught at Camp-of-the-Woods near Speculator, New York. This was not a Salvation Army camp but a Christian camp/resort where families could vacation. While the children took part in the usual camp activities including music, the parents could enjoy the facilities of the resort. According to Grace Calvert, Camp-of-the-Woods was a firstclass operation in every aspect, including state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, excellent faculty and staff, and substantial financial support. A unique feature of the camp’s operation was that the staff members were all music majors from colleges and universities across the United States. They formed a band and a choir that performed for the campers, their families, and local residents several times per week.36 Calvert had secured a position at this establishment through Erik Leidzén. When the camp needed a band conductor, the director contacted Leidzén, who, based on their work together at Star Lake and in other contexts, recommended Calvert. The camp sent some recordings of the band from previous summers that indicated the

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quality of the group, and Calvert accepted the job offer.37 The band at this camp was undoubtedly the best student ensemble that Calvert had conducted to this point in his career. Based on concert programs, the members were well trained and technically fluent. During a one-week period in July 1961, they performed three times and presented challenging repertoire that included Suite in E-Flat by Gustav Holst, two movements from Symphonic Songs for Band by Robert Russell Bennett, National Emblem March by Edwin E. Bagley, and a transcription of the “Prayer and Dream Pantomime” from Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (1854–1921), plus other easier pieces, and six works for band and choir combined.38 To undertake this much music, and music of this difficulty, within such a short time period is a clear indication of the excellent reading, listening, and performing skills of the students in this ensemble. After the summer of 1961, the Calverts’ music camp experience underwent another change as a result of invitations Calvert got to teach at Salvation Army camps in the United States.39 The first year, they started in San Francisco and then went from camp to camp up and down the American west coast, staying at each approximately a week. This became their pattern for many of the summers during the 1960s. In 1964, for example, they began their “tour” in Los Angeles, continued to Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, and concluded in Atlanta, Georgia, on 20 August.40 Because the Canadian school year is longer than that in the United States, often there were only a few days between the completion of school in Montreal and the beginning of the first camp. Sometimes the family travelled by train, and on other occasions, Grace and the children would leave early and drive to Denver. As soon as school was finished, Morley would fly to Denver, and they would drive together the rest of the way. When all the camps had finished, they often had time for a family vacation and some sightseeing. One year they went camping in Yosemite National Park. Calvert also was engaged by Salvation Army camps in the central United States. From 1963 to 1966, he taught at Camp O’ Wood near Oracle, Arizona,41and composed a march, Camp-O’Wood, specifically for this well-known place. Similarly, in August 1968, he was instructor and guest conductor at the Chicago Music Institute, Central Territory Music Camp, at Camp Wonderland, near Antioch, Illinois.42 The score to Calvert’s march Camp-O’Wood is dated 15 July 1966, indicating that it was almost certainly composed at the camp. It

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also displays several notational shortcuts that suggest it was written quickly. For example, the “C” section of the score begins with a blank space containing the notation “as 1st 4 measures of A.” Corrections and revisions indicate that it was performed. Since it is scored for a reduced brass band instrumentation – pairs of cornets, horns, baritones, and trombones, euphonium, tuba, and basic percussion – without the “specialized” instruments – soprano cornet, flugelhorn, bass trombone, and timpani – it apparently was intended for a specific ensemble. Perhaps the camp did not have strong performers on the lesscommon instruments that particular summer. Structurally, it resembles an American march to a greater degree than other marches by Calvert, with a break (or “dogfight”) strain and a trio that concludes the piece, rather than the da capo that is more common in British marches.43 Lighthearted in character, the introduction and the third strain employ a melody that appears to be a parody of “Taps,” the American trumpet call that is often used to signal “lights out” at music camps, albeit not at march tempo. The humorous effect is heightened by the accompaniment, which is a series of fanfares in parallel major chords. This is reveille music, not night music, and the comical combination of “Taps” with these bright

3.4 Camp-O’Wood, bars 39–47

b 4 & b bbb 4 ˙™

n˙ ™ œ™ œ

b & b bbb ˙™

Œ Ó œ™ œ œ œ™ œ œJ œ œJ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ

3.5

œ™ œ œ œ™ œnœ œ™ œ ˙ ™

œ ™ œ ˙™

Camp-O’Wood, bars 29–36

b 4 & b bbb 4

b & b bbb

œ

œœ˙

mf

bœ

œœ˙

nœ œ

œœ˙ œœ˙

j œ œ nœj œ œ b˙

œ œ œnœ

j œ nœ œj œ œ ˙™

Œ

œ™ œ

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fanfares (morning and evening combined) would have been apparent to everyone listening. Other melodies are likely also associated with the camp. The trio tune, for example, sounds like a camp song. Calvert apparently composed this march specifically for the faculty and/or the “A” student band at Camp O’ Wood, the groups he likely conducted. It remains in manuscript. The camp no longer exists, and while the march is filled with attractive tunes, much of its humour would be lost if performed in another venue. Perhaps this is why Calvert apparently made no effort to have it published. Grace Calvert recalled an amusing incident that occurred during one of the summer camps they attended in California. Calvert’s chromatic setting of What a Friend We Have in Jesus was performed by the Songsters at the Sunday morning service, and afterward the Calverts were invited for lunch at the home of Major Bob Yardley (1923–2014). “When we were introduced to his mother, Major Yardley asked her: ‘Do you remember that setting of What a Friend We Have in Jesus that we heard this morning?’ She immediately responded: ‘Yes, and it was terrible!’ ‘Well, this is the composer, Morley Calvert.’ Morley, of course, took everything in good spirits and equilibrium was restored.”44 On the surface, it seems that launching into an extensive round of summer camp teaching immediately after completing the school year constituted a gruelling schedule, but Grace Calvert insists that the family thoroughly enjoyed these summers. The children were good travellers and took part in activities at all the camps, the family as a whole was well cared for, and Morley was wholeheartedly committed to helping young people make connections between music and their spiritual lives. The family found these experiences invigorating rather than arduous and looked upon these summers as a time of spiritual renewal. The Calverts showed their commitment to the summer music camp experience in other ways as well. In the mid-1960s, they established the Morley Calvert Award, which was presented to the student who wrote the best original melody at the music camp at Lac L’Achigan each summer.45 One of the early winners (1967) was Leonard Ballantine (b: 1950), now a well-known Canadian composer.46 As if this were not enough, the Calverts established their own summer music camp. In the fall of 1958, the Westmount High School Senior Band had two concerts scheduled unusually early in the term.

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These concerts were sponsored by the Home and School Association and were fundraisers to purchase new uniforms for the band. In order to prepare for these concerts, Calvert, who was well aware of the benefits of the intensive camp experience, decided to schedule a music camp for the band during the last week of August. Dr and Mrs L.J. Adams, who were band parents, offered their cottage on Lake Memphremagog. The event was so successful that Calvert decided to make it an annual event.47 A campground was located at Ayer’s Cliff in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, registration was opened to anyone who wished to enrol, and the Monteregian Music Camp was born. The Calverts operated the weeklong camp for ten years, even returning from London, UK, to run it in August 1969, when Calvert was on leave from his duties in Montreal and pursuing a masters degree at the University of London. Over the years, the camp developed a reputation for the quality of its music making. The final concert was often a musical, usually Gilbert and Sullivan, which involved all of the campers and staff – no small achievement in such a short time – and the band from the camp played at Expo 67.48 Calvert planned the music and engaged the faculty from among his friends and colleagues in and around Montreal, including Cy Cooper, who often brought students from Montreal West High School with him. One of Cooper’s students, clarinetist Nora Gaskin, attended the camp in the summer of 1966, where she made lifelong friends and received instruction that had a significant impact on her playing. She remembered auditioning for placement in the camp’s ensembles and her auditioner, oboist Stewart Grant,49 saying: “But you can sing!” – and demonstrating lyrical playing on wind instruments. She recalled: “And I could sing!” Grant’s suggestion and further instruction at the camp permanently changed her approach to her instrument. Gaskin observed that the music camp took place on the campground of the Mackay Centre for Deaf and Crippled Children and was quite luxurious in comparison to other summer camps she attended, with ramps everywhere, indoor toilets, a beautiful dining room, and a craft hut where she made some copper enamelled jewellery that she still possesses.50 The technical aspects of running the camp (hiring the staff, finding a nurse and a cook, making sure everything was in place when the campers arrived, etc.) and the financial management fell to Grace, and overseeing these aspects was always stressful. The finances were precarious; often, once the expenses were paid, there was nothing left for the Calverts. However, the relatively small size of the camp (about

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125 campers), the family atmosphere, and the excellence of its music making made it an enjoyable experience for the whole family.51 In 1962, Calvert transferred from Westmount Junior/Senior High School to Lindsay Place High School, a brand-new school within walking distance of the Calverts’ home in Pointe-Claire.52 Changing schools meant building a new music program from the ground up, but Calvert seems to have taken on this challenge with considerable zeal. Within five years, he had developed a band of about fifty members and was programming interesting and technically demanding repertoire such as Thendara Overture by Maurice Whitney and Overture in B-Flat by Caesar Giovannini. Both works continue to be regularly performed by high school bands across North America. The students at Lindsay Place clearly appreciated the work he was doing with them. In 1964, they presented him with a baton on an engraved stand.53 Calvert also began presenting concerts shared between his high school band and the Lakeshore Concert Band and for which he engaged high-profile soloists. Pianist William Tritt, then a student at Lindsay Place High School and destined for a major career as a concert soloist and teacher,54 appeared on a program in May 1968.55 Over the ensuing years, clarinetist Larry Combs, trumpeter Serge Chevanelle, tubist Robert Ryker, and french hornist Pierre del Vescovo – all with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra – were featured.56 Working with these outstanding professional musicians must have been eye-opening experiences for the high school students. Calvert’s compositional career also progressed during the 1960s, producing several of his most enduring works. He, of course, continued to compose for the Salvation Army. As noted earlier, he conducted the premiere performance of his Meditation Nearer to the Cross with the Montreal Citadel Band in Toronto in April 1962. This work was published in the Salvation Army’s General Series in December 1965.57 Calvert’s The Way of Salvation, which had been published in the General Series in August 1961,58 was given a memorable performance by the International Staff Band (ISB ) in Montreal as the finale of their Canadian tour in the spring of 1962.59 In the winter of 1962, the Citadel in St James, Manitoba, celebrated its fifty-first anniversary. Captain J. Takaberry, commanding officer of the Citadel, who had grown up with Calvert in Montreal, asked him to write a work specifically for this event. Calvert’s march St James Citadel was played twice in February and March by the St James Citadel Band under Bandmaster

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J. Magnenat,60 but the score appears to be lost. Another march, Faith Victorious, was published in August 1962 in the General Series61 and continues to be performed regularly by both Salvation Army and community brass bands. Calvert’s compositional activities also expanded beyond the Salvation Army. In 1960, he received his first commission from a fully professional ensemble, the Montreal Brass Quintet. Formed in 1960, the musicians of Montreal Brass Quintet were all members of the brass section of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.62 They had an active commissioning project that ultimately involved many Canadian composers and included works that ranged in difficulty from playable only by professionals to those available to college or even high school musicians. Calvert’s composition for the Quintet, Suite from the Monteregian Hills, based on Quebec folk songs, was destined to become his most popular and enduring work. It was quickly absorbed into the core repertoire for brass quintets; well-received performances by such professional ensembles as Eastman Brass Quintet (July 1965), the Aspen Brass Quintet (July 1966), and the New York Brass Quintet (February 1968) among many others,63became, and continue to be, frequent events. It was also broadcast on CBC Radio several times in the years immediately following its composition.64 More than fifty years after its initial appearance, the Suite continues to receive dozens of performances all over the world and has been professionally recorded at least twenty-five times;65 as of this writing, five professional recordings are currently easily available.66 It was first published in 1968 in the Montreal Brass Quintet Series and republished in 1976 by Cee & Cee Music, an imprint of Berandol Music Limited. It has since been issued in a reset edition under Berandol’s own imprint. Calvert has provided the following information regarding the origin and creation of this work: In 1960 [I was] asked by Bob Ryker to write a piece for the newlyformed Montreal Brass Quintet – consisting of members of the Montreal Symphony. I believe I was the first Canadian to write a work for them. They have since commissioned several others. The first performance [was at] the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Aug. 1961.67 [It was] hard to write because you can only write five different parts at any one time, yet you can’t keep everybody playing all

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the time. Then you have to take into consideration the technical limitations of the instruments – range (for instance), and lack of variety in tone colour. Mutes can be used, and the bright sound of the trpts and trom interplayed with that of the hrn and tuba. I had to look for material – would it be borrowed or original. I’ve always loved F. [French] Can. [Canadian] folk songs, so I decided to use songs of this area. 1. March based on “Marianne s’en va-t-au Moulin” 2. Chanson Mélancolique based on “Un Canadian Errant” 3. Valse Ridicule – “À St Malo,” written last; had two marches 4. Danse Villageoise – “Il est né le divin enfant” Trpts play a little melody supposed to be a fiddle tune as the name of the mov’t implies. Being more of a fiddler than a musician he doesn’t always get his fingers on the strings in the correct spots.68 Intro and episodic material based on thematic material; that is, music found in the tune itself, then upside down, then comes [complete] for the 1st time in trombone in long notes with fiddle tune going on at the same time.69 The folk tunes in Calvert’s quintet, with the exception of “Il es né le divin enfant,” an old French carol that was popular in the Salvation Army and in Canada generally, were collected by Ernest Gagnon (1834–1915) and published in his seminal Chansons populaires du Canada, originally printed in serial form 1865–67 in Le Foyer canadien. A second edition appeared in 1880 and was released subsequently in twelve editions up to 1955.70 Calvert’s source could have been Gagnon, but it was more likely the well-regarded Chansons de Quebec/Folk Songs of Quebec by Edith Fowke and Richard Johnston, published in 1957, widely adopted by Canadian schools, and thus readily available to Calvert. Such publications were a reaction to substantially increased attention to Canadian folk song through the 1950s stimulated by similar revivals of interest in England and in the United States that had originated in the 1930s.71 The extensive work of Marius Barbeau and other ethnomusicologists resulted in the foundation of the Canadian Folk Music Society in 195772 and the recording of folk music in Quebec and among First Nations peoples by Folkways Records during the 1950s and

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early 1960s. Barbeau also worked with Marguerite d’Harcourt (1884– 1964) to produce, in 1956, Chansons folkloriques françaises au Canada, an influential publication of 240 songs and detailed analyses of French folk song in Canada that has been deemed “monumental” by scholars.73 This increased visibility and availability of folk tunes was a boon to Canadian composers who had already begun exploring folk material as the basis of concert music following the Second World War. John Weinzweig recalled that at a Symposium on Canadian Contemporary Music held in Vancouver in March 1950, nearly half of the twelve symphonic works performed, including his own Red Ear of Corn, were based on, or derived from, folk material.74 This focus continues as an important aspect of musical expression in Canada up to the present day,75 as evidenced by Jean Coulthard’s Canada Mosaic (1974), Derek Healey’s two sets of 6 Canadian Folk Songs (1973 and 1998), and Julien Bilodeau’s La fantaisie du pendu (The Hangman’s Reel) written in 2017 for the Canada 150 celebrations, among other compositions. Considering developments around him, it seems hardly surprising that Calvert would have turned to French-Canadian folk music as the basis of his first professional commission. Interestingly, according to musicologist Elaine Keillor, Quebec composers of the 1950s and 1960s largely rejected folk songs as compositional elements,76 making Calvert something of an outlier in the province. In Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Calvert found many imaginative ways to employ his folk material and address the challenges of writing for brass quintet. The tune used for the first movement, “Marianne s’en va-t-au Moulin,” is cheerful despite the rather dark subject matter of the song – a young girl goes to a mill to grind some grain, and while there, her donkey is eaten by a wolf. Calvert, recognizing the essential lightheartedness of the tune, set it as a march. Apparently concerned with timbral variation, however, he initially presents it in individual phrases that progress through the 3.6 “Marianne s’en va-t-au Moulin” 1. 2. bbb 6 j ™™ œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j ™™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b J J & 8œ J œ J J J J J J J b œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œj œj œ œ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ œ j œ ‰ œ & b bb œ J J J J J

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6 & b 8 bœ b œ œ œ >œ œ >œ œ > > 6 ? 8œ œ b œ J ‰ œJ œJ

œ >œ > œ ‰

œœ œJ

j ‰ ‰ Œ™ œœ >>j œ ‰ ‰ Œ™ œJ ‰ ‰ Œ ™

3.7 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 1, bars 72–73

ensemble either as solos or duets. To provide additional variety, he also incorporated a lyrical statement of the first half of the melody (bars 51–60). An interlude (bars 68–92) provides a complete contrast. Over a persistent pedal, a derivative of the third and fourth bar of the tune is set in hemiola, in dissonant harmony, and repeated four times – the wolf, perhaps? (See example 3.7.) In the subsequent section (bars 93–112), a repeating chordal passage, created through the use of whole-tone scale fragments, is presented by second trumpet, horn, and trombone, while the tuba plays the first section of the tune. Between the phrases, the first trumpet (muted) adds an accented wrong-note fanfare, perhaps suggesting Marianne’s cries of distress when she discovers the death of her donkey. A coda that comprises an extension of the last eight bars of the tune concludes the movement. A trombone solo using the opening motive of the tune appears in the fourth-last bar, and the player is instructed to begin an accelerando that brings the movement to an energetic close. Harmonically, this movement also incorporates several concepts that provide both interest and musical integration. It begins with a pyramid 3.8

Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 1, bars 97–100

b6 &b 8 ‰

b 6 mp & b 8 ‰ œœ mp ‰ œ ? bb 68 œJ œ f

∑ ‰ œ -œ‰ bœ œJ œ

∑

> Œ #œj nœ ™ > mf

‰ œœ ‰ n-œœ ‰ b œœ -‰ œ ‰ b bœ ‰ ‰ œ œœ œ œ ™ ˙ ™ J J ‰

Ϫ

œ ‰

‰ œ ‰ b œœ œœ ‰ -œ-b œ ‰ b œ ‰ bœ ‰ œ ™ œJ Œ

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through the ensemble that generates an A-flat major chord with added sixth. This chord underlies the first section of the piece (bars 1–24), and added-note chords, especially added-sixth chords, abound throughout the movement, including a repeat of the pyramid at bars 33–36. Calvert took a somewhat different approach to “Un Canadien errant” (A Wandering Canadian) in the second movement of the Suite, Chanson Mélancolique. The song, which is generally attributed to 1842, refers to those who had participated in the Lower Canada (now Quebec) Rebellion (1837–38) and were exiled from Canada. The words describe one of these exiles wandering through foreign countries and longing for his homeland. The movement opens with solo horn playing the first phrase of the tune. What follows appears to be largely a freely composed section lasting seventeen bars, but, in fact, references to the tune can be found in virtually every bar, either in the melody or the counterpoint. For example, in bar 2, Calvert introduced a syncopated figure that is based on the second phrase of the melody. 3.9 Un Canadien errant

b 6 & b b 8 œ œ œ œj ˙ ™ œ

j œ œ œ œ œ ˙™

j œ œ œ œ œ ˙™

j œ œ œ œ œ ˙™

j b &b b œ œ œ œ œ ˙™

j œ œ œ œ œ ˙™

œœœ

œ œ ˙™ J

j œ œ œ œ œ ˙™

3.10 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 2, bars 1–3

b 9 &b b 8

12 8 œ j j œ œ œj œ œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ ™ Œ ™ Œ ™ œ œœ œœ œ œ œJ œ œ b œ J J p b 9 12 ∑ & b b 8 œ œ œ œj œ ™ 8 ˙ ™ œœœ œœ œ œ mf j 12 ? b 98 ∑ ∑ 8 œœ œj œj œœ œœ nœœ œœ œœ bœœ bb bœ œ p ∑

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b 6 & b b 8 œ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ hold back

p

3.11 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 2, bars 4–5

In this section, the composer also introduced a languid accompanying figure that appears regularly throughout the movement in various instruments and adds momentum to longer-note passages. This figure, which alternates two pitches a tone apart, may be intended to evoke the “wandering” of the title. The second section of the movement (bars 18–23) presents the complete tune played by second trumpet, surrounded by reiterations of the Wandering motive, and sometimes paralleled by one or more voices. A coda (bars 24–30) states individual phrases of the tune and the Wandering motive but is separated into short phrases by caesuras and fermatas, which give the music a hesitant quality that supports the longing expressed in the words. Chanson Mélancolique constitutes some of the gentlest music in the brass quintet repertoire. The volume level never rises above mezzo forte, and the majority of the music is marked piano or softer. The refined, expressive character has made this movement a favourite of brass players, and it is often performed (and recorded) separately from the rest of the Suite. According to the composer, Valse Ridicule was written last. Calvert apparently wanted to use the song “À St Malo beau port de mer,” which has an important place in French-Canadian history since Jacques Cartier had departed from St Malo,77 as had many of the first settlers to Quebec. However, it presented him with a problem. The tune is essentially a march, which would mean the Suite had two marches, when Calvert wanted a scherzo or waltz as his third movement. The solution was to stretch the tune into ¾ time and start it on the third beat of the bar instead of the downbeat. Calvert also slightly altered the melody to make it better fit the new meter, although, in support of the composer’s intention to parody the waltz form, it never sounds entirely comfortable in its new setting. “À St Malo beau port de mer” was a good tune to turn into a scherzo or waltz parody. The words are humorous, describing a group of women haggling with a merchant over the price of wheat and eventually getting it for free. Calvert’s setting is full of amusing gestures

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer

2 &b 4 œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ

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101

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3.12A A St Malo beau port de Mer 3.12B Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 3, bars 13–26

from the opening few bars where single notes are scattered through the ensemble, to the first section of the work with its off-the-beat tune supported by a rhythmically disjunctive and wrong-note accompaniment, to several instances of tongue-in-cheek fugato. The second section presents a “Waltz motive” that swings between the trumpets and leads to a dissonant figure in two simultaneous versions of hemiola. It occurs twice with varied double hemiolas. One wonders if this section might represent the merchant (a smooth talker) extolling the virtues of his grain only to be summarily dismissed by the bargaining women. In the subsequent section, Calvert tenders a five-voice fugue exposition on a subject derived from the principal theme. The incongruity of this “learnèd” texture appearing suddenly in a “ridiculous” waltz produces another humorous effect. The rest of the movement recalls earlier material, including the Waltz motive and a near-recapitulation – a virtually identical repeat of bars 13–47, the initial statement of the altered folk tune. In this movement, Calvert created a delightful example of musical humour that, because of the off-the-beat principal tune and extensive use of hemiola, is challenging to perform. Perhaps it was these performance challenges that convinced the composer to not transcribe this movement for brass band, as he did with the other three

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3 ™ & b 4 bœ

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3.13 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 3, bars 32–38 Tuba

? 43 Πb ?

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3.14 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 3, bars 48–54 (fugue subject)

movements of Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Possibly he felt that the rhythmic complexities militated against a successful performance with more than one player per part. Calvert’s setting of “À St Malo” provides an interesting comparison with Sir Ernest MacMillan’s arrangement of the same song, the second of his Two Sketches Based on French Canadian Airs for string quartet or string orchestra. With the exception of some alterations to fit the new meter, Calvert essentially duplicated the tune as it appears in Gagnon.78 MacMillan’s tune, which differs considerably from Calvert’s,

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was collected by Marius Barbeau and Edward Sapir and published in their Folk Songs of French Canada (1925). MacMillan wrote a perceptive review of the publication for the journal Canadian Forum79 in which he commented that he particularly liked two of the songs, “Notre Seigneur en pauvre” and “À St Malo.” Barbeau, MacMillan, and John Murray Gibbon (1875–1952), an employee of the CPr and a Canadian folk music enthusiast, organized the first Quebec Folk Song and Handicraft Festival in Quebec City in May 1927, and Gibbon asked MacMillan to arrange these two songs for performance at the festival. The new arrangements were performed by the Hart House String Quartet80 and have become MacMillan’s most frequently performed orchestral composition in both the string quartet and string orchestra scorings, although the composer himself considered it a minor work.81 MacMillan’s purpose was significantly different from Calvert’s. Calvert needed a scherzo to contrast with other three movements in his quintet; MacMillan wanted to capture the “briskness and gaiety”82 of the tune and create an effective pairing with the lyricism of “Notre Seigneur en pauvre.” Interestingly, MacMillan’s tune is also in ¾ meter, but has no humorous elements. The setting is rather traditional, employing a mixture of modal and tonal harmony, pedal points, and several modulations, mostly to key areas related by major thirds. The tune is stated in full only once; the rest of the arrangement consists of contrapuntal development of motives extracted from the melody. MacMillan did add some “country dance” attributes. Off-the-beat accents appear frequently, and the introduction consists of a motive from the tune played as an ostinato in the middle voices while the outer voices overlay an open fifth figure that evokes a fiddler tuning up prior to launching into the dance. Motoric pedal points suggest the exuberant, repetitive bass lines of country dance ensembles. More than forty years separates these two settings. Both are effective and are, in some ways, emblematic of Canadian music at their time of composition. Danse Villageois is based on the French and Canadian Christmas carol “Il est né le divin enfant” and, as noted earlier, an original countermelody that imitates a fiddle tune, thus the movement’s title. Fiddling has been a part of French-Canadian music making since the arrival of the first settlers. Until about 1960, it was the primary dance music of rural Canada, making it one of the most enduring and original of the country’s musical traditions. Being a portable instrument, the violin could easily be brought from France and carried from village to

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œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

™ œ œ œœœ œœ œ œ œœœ ™ œ ˙

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1.

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2.

b 4 œœ #œ & b b 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ nœ nœ bœ œ œ œ leggiero

mf

b bœ œ œ œ nœ œ & b b nœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ nœ bœ bœ œ œ bœ nœ œ nœ œ bœ œ 3.15A Il est ne le divin enfant 3.15B Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 4, bars 14–17 (fiddle tune)

village or house to house. Jesuit Relations, the voluminous records of the activities of the Jesuits in Canada compiled as reports sent back to their superiors in France, mention violins in Canada as early as 1645.83 Dancing was a very popular pastime, especially during the long winters, drawing comments from writers such as Pierre de Sales Laterrière, who in the early nineteenth century claimed that Canadians were the most avid dancers in the world.84 The musicians were untrained, playing by ear and developing a substantial repertoire of tunes.85 Over the years, Quebec fiddlers, called violoneux, developed regional characteristics different from other forms of fiddling in Canada. Many cotillons and quadrilles (danced in square formation), danses rondes (circle or couple dances), and contredanses (line dances) had their own tunes, either French or Canadian in origin. Generally, the French-Canadian approach is more accented than other traditions and employs bowing patterns of single strokes or two-note slurs. Phrasing of the tunes varies from the 32-bar patterns common in Irish or Scottish fiddling and is often irregular. Altered violin tunings (scordatura) offer the possibility of open-string drones, and probably also permit more of the playing in the first or second fingering pattern positions (closer to the peg

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box where the specific pitches are further apart). Melodies are often ornamented, but somewhat less than comparable Scottish fiddle tunes. A particular feature is the use of foot tapping, or clogging, which developed particular patterns, depending on the type of tune and the individual fiddler. By the mid-twentieth century, the older, local styles began to wane, but were renewed during the 1970s and have continued to be preserved in recordings and by fiddling associations such as the Association Québécoise des Loisirs Folkloriques of Montreal.86 Calvert provided more information regarding his compositional process for Danse Villageois than for any of the other movements. In the introduction (bars 1–10), aspects of both thematic elements are stated: the first motive from the carol is echoed through the quintet, and at bar 8, the first bar of the fiddle tune appears in tuba followed by French horn. A four-bar vamp ensues, preparing for the complete fiddle tune to appear in first trumpet. As Calvert has indicated, the tune is intended to be whimsical, evoking a country fiddler who “doesn’t always get his fingers on the strings in the correct spots,” thus the “wrong notes” in the tune. The fiddle tune is presented twice in full, then becomes part of a short development employing both the first bar of the fiddle tune and the opening motive from “Il est né le divin enfant” in both its original form and in inversion. The final section of the movement places the fiddle tune against a complete statement of “Il est né le divin enfant,” presented in long notes first by the trombone, then by first trumpet – the only time the full tune is heard. A very short coda using fragments of both tunes concludes this energetic movement. At first glance it seems odd to connect a Christmas carol with a fiddle tune; however, this carol is joyful and usually sung with great enthusiasm, similar to what might be expected of participants in a country dance. The two tunes employed complement each other, work well in counterpoint, and together generate a lively and jubilant movement to conclude the Suite. Calvert’s title for this movement recalls the well-known Danse villageoise written in 1929 by Claude Champagne (1891–1965), initially for violin and piano and later adapted for other scorings including small orchestra. Champagne’s composition was requested by pianist/ composer/teacher Léo-Pol Morin (1892–1914) who wanted a “typically Canadian” piece for recital. The composer may have intended it as a remembrance of his grandfather, who was a fiddler.87 The two works have little in common. Champagne employed a single original melody in the

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style of a Quebec fiddle tune as the basis of a rondo or a set of short variations – every section can be related to the primary tune. Mostly melody and accompaniment, the sparse counterpoint is also primarily derived from the tune. Calvert deliberately combined two melodies, and while segments are homophonic, most of his movement is contrapuntal. In Champagne’s orchestral version, some elements are added, some sections expanded, the counterpoint enhanced, and the scoring is remarkably colourful. This version matches Calvert’s more closely in texture, but far exceeds it in timbral variety. Both works are fundamentally tonal. Champagne doesn’t stray far from the notated keys but does employ some quintal sonorities, and substantial sections employ only one or two chords. Calvert’s harmony, as in other of his works, is more complex, involving unresolved sevenths, added-note chords, and polychords. Both composers fragment their melodies, but by developing motives from the theme in clearly defined sections, Champagne adopted a more traditional approach. Clearly, both strategies for evoking a country dance are effective in their own contexts. Champagne’s Danse villageoise is his most frequently performed composition in its violin/piano and orchestral scorings; as noted earlier, Calvert’s quintet, including his Danse Villageoise, has an extraordinary following among brass players. In Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Calvert found imaginative and musically satisfying solutions to the challenges of composing for brass quintet. The writing is idiomatic, displaying his intimate knowledge of brass instruments and, as such, is playable by performers at many levels of accomplishment. The inventiveness and musicianship demonstrated throughout the work have kept it a favourite of quintets at all levels, worldwide. With the collaboration of the Canadian Music Centre, the Montreal Brass Quintet commissioned Calvert again in 1967, supported by a grant from the Centennial Commission. Calvert’s second brass quintet, An Occasional Suite, is in sharp stylistic contrast to Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Like many of the Centennial Commission works, the material is all original, and harmonically the work embraces elements of mid-twentieth-century musical composition, such as quartal and quintal sonorities, whole-tone scales, and a substantial use of harmonic seconds. It also has an overall sardonic humour that seems reminiscent of some theatre music. Traditional “abstract” musical structures and textures are employed more extensively than in the earlier work. The

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use of original melodic material, discordant harmony, shifting meter, and an overall wry humour make this work not as immediately appealing as its predecessor, and it has never achieved a comparable degree of popularity. It has, however, been adopted into their repertoire by several professional brass quintets. The Florida Brass Quintet, based in Sarasota, Florida, for example, kept An Occasional Suite in their performance repertoire for more than ten years, and on at least two occasions, the work and their performances of it received positive reviews from professional music critics.88 It was also positively reviewed after a performance by the Nashville Contemporary Brass Quintet in December 1982, when the reviewer commented on the “earnest humor in the bolero rhythm of the Scherzo” and the “impressive Brahmsian theme in the Passacaglia.”89 Completing this work on time was a considerable struggle for Calvert. The autograph score is dated 4 June 1967, and the Montreal Brass Quintet premiered it at Expo 67 on 13 June 1967. According to Robert Ryker, the group rehearsed the quintet literally movement-bymovement as the copyist finished the parts.90 An Occasional Suite also was initially printed in the Montreal Brass Quintet Series and is now published by Berandol. The first movement is called Sonatina in Calvert’s manuscript, but this title does not appear in the published edition. The title has significance since the movement is structured in what has been called “Sonatina Form” – Sonata Form without a development. It seems quite likely that Calvert had this formal structure in mind when he wrote, and titled, the movement. While no separate development section is present, the music incorporates a great deal of development, particularly in imitative textures, within the two thematic areas and in the transitions that link them. The interval of the fourth, in both its perfect and augmented form, is a central element melodically and harmonically. The first theme, stated immediately by second trumpet and trombone in octaves, establishes the importance of the melodic interval of the fourth and the characteristic rhythms that will be elaborated throughout the movement. Until it begins to wander tonally (bar 4), this theme resembles the fugue subjects of J.S. Bach. Considering the intensity of the imitative counterpoint to come, one wonders if Calvert was ironically evoking the fugues of Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge (each titled “Contrapunctus”), which, in transcription, have long been core repertoire for brass quintets.

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2 &b 4 œ > ? 42 >œ b

A Life in Music

Briskly

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3.16 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 1, bars 1–8

When repeated with a slightly altered profile by first trumpet, this theme is supported by a chordal accompaniment that mixes seventh chords, added-note chords, and sonorities based on fourths. Development begins promptly and takes several different forms. Initially, the second bar of theme one is presented inverted; the next subsection employs the first four bars of the theme in a two-voice canon between the low voices and the trumpets; the succeeding subsection sets the first two bars of the theme in a fugato that has seven entries and elides with a segment that displays imitation of both the first two bars of the theme in inversion and the sixteenth-note motive from bar 6. Clearly, the non-tonal nature of this work allowed Calvert to display his contrapuntal skills to a much higher degree than in most previous compositions. Theme two (bar 63) is derived from the primary theme and is presented initially in homophonic texture, the first example of this texture in the movement. However, when he repeated it, Calvert set a countermelody against it that echoes motives from the theme. The codetta that completes the exposition is again imitative, using motives from both thematic areas. The recapitulation, which begins at bar 93, opens with the primary theme played two octaves apart by second trumpet and tuba, but is at a tritone above the original statement. From this point on, the recapitulation is essentially identical to the exposition with some re-scoring and, on occasion, with lines added to the texture. In this movement, perhaps evoking Bach, Calvert demonstrated considerable prowess in writing effective imitative counterpoint. The

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numerous discrete motives afforded by his primary theme also offered substantial opportunities for development, resulting in a movement that has a high degree of both unity and contrast. The second movement, Scherzo, not surprisingly, is in A–B–A form. It opens with an eighteen-bar introduction that establishes a persistent rhythm on the pitch A, which will underlie virtually the entire A section as a pedal point. The harmonic context for the movement, seconds, fourths, and added-note chords is also established. The A section (bars 19–70) largely consists of the pedal point and a dialogue between the two trumpets using a motive that is related to the primary theme of movement one. This section is divided into two Occasional Suite, Mvt. 2, bars 5–12

3.17

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subsections by an angular solo for first trumpet consisting mostly of fragments of whole-tone scales. In the second subsection, the entire dialogue from the first subsection is written into the second trumpet while the first trumpet adds a new layer, and the horn contributes a cantus firmus figure. An upward chromatic sweep in horn followed by trumpets completes this section. The B section also has two subsections. It begins with a surprise. The tempo is suddenly reduced, and the horn and tuba present a new motive consisting of a descending major seventh. The tempo is recovered after these two bars, in an interlude that does not appear to be related to anything else in the movement, and proceeds to a new melody developed from the descending major seventh motive and the earlier trumpet dialogue and presented in canon between first trumpet and horn. This subsection is rather quickly replaced by the second subsection, which consists of a chordal accompaniment in the low instruments while the first trumpet adds an angular melody in hemiola that establishes a 2/4 meter against the 3/4 of the underlying harmony. The effect is somewhat akin to the Valse Ridicule in Suite from the Monteregian Hills. As is usual in Calvert’s music, the chordal passage is conceived contrapuntally rather than harmonically with the resulting complex chords created by the intersection of multiple lines. This passage continues for thirty-nine bars with the melody moving to trombone and tuba. A transition recalling the descending major seventh motive and elements of the A section leads to a grand pause and the return of the A section. Calvert’s Scherzo achieved some of the humour displayed in the Valse Ridicule, particularly in the B section. However, the overall effect

3.19 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 2, bars 93–100

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Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer

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Slowly with much expression quasi recitative

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Occasional Suite, Mvt. 3, bars 1–10 (Passacaglia theme)

is of relentless forward energy driven by the pedal point, the harmonic clashes, and the predominance of call-and-response textures. The third movement is titled Passacaglia and employs a deeply expressive theme. When he reviewed this work after a performance by the Nashville Contemporary Brass Quintet, John Bridges described this melody as “Brahmsian,”91 probably thinking about the last movement of Brahms’s Symphony No. 4, which is also structured as a passacaglia. The melody, one of Calvert’s atonal themes involving ten separate pitches, does have a dignified character somewhat like the Brahms movement, but on a much smaller scale. The melody is introduced by the trombonist and then restated by every member of the quintet with each entry a perfect fourth above the preceding one. As the texture thickens, Calvert writes additional strands of counterpoint that function largely independently of each other with the resulting complex harmony, although this movement displays more instances of simple triadic sonorities than the two previous movements. Since these triads have no apparent structural function, they seem to have emerged organically out of the composer’s contrapuntal practices rather than having been planned.92 An interlude of free composition inserted after the completion of the fifth entry (tuba), draws on motives from the theme. The ending is similar to the concluding section of Chanson Mélancolique from Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Three short segments, based on fragments of the theme in imitative textures, are separated by fermatas, producing an uncertain character. The final section is over a B-flat pedal in the tuba, which resolves to an E-flat major chord at bars 74–75, suggesting a cadence that conforms to the key signature. However, the following chords, although based on E-flat, are complicated by descending chromatic lines

‰ Œ

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in the trumpets, and a statement of the first two bars of the theme by the trombone, a recall of the beginning of the movement. The final bar is a single pitch F-sharp in the trombone under a fermata that forms the bridge to the final movement. Although it has no clear relationship to the last chords of the Passacaglia (based on E-flat) or to the first chord of the finale (F major), this pitch, curiously, sounds correct in context. Calvert’s Passacaglia is intensely reflective music that stretches harmonically to virtual atonality. It is hardly surprising that when he rescored this music for brass band in 1978, the composer retitled this movement Elegy, a designation more in keeping with its contemplative character. The finale, Rondo, is described as an “operetta overture” by Bridges in the review quoted above – an apt description for this festive, enormously energetic movement. An equally appropriate description would be a parody of brass band march, a genre with which Calvert was very familiar. Because of the fast tempo and the sometimes-complex interaction of the parts, Calvert wisely chose to simplify the harmony and much of the texture. Triads and seventh chords appear, sometimes functioning tonally, but added-note chords, augmented triads, harmonic seconds, and tritones connect the harmonic context to earlier movements. Much of the texture is homophonic, except for some passages where imitation creates lines that intersect and overlap, often at very close time intervals. The title Rondo was intended to probably describe the lightness and speed of the movement rather than denote a particular form. The initial section has, in fact, two themes, and this exact music is repeated later in the movement, giving a strong sense of recapitulation. Also, the middle section appears to be a three-part development. Structurally, this movement is much closer to sonata allegro, rather than rondo form. The initial theme is either a single idea in two parts or two separate melodies. Either way, its individual phrases are presented by different instruments. Texture is largely homophonic with minimal imitation. The development (or B section of the Rondo) forms a dramatic contrast. The entire ensemble, in unison rhythm, presents a series of block chords separated by rests while the meter shifts between 3/2, 5/4, 7/4, and 4/4. This kind of manipulation of meter and surface rhythm was common in North American music at this time but does not appear

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer Trumpet 1 Quickly

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113

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3.21

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Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 1–18

with this level of intensity in other works by Calvert. Melody is subservient to rhythm in this section, but the melodic material in first trumpet can easily be connected to the initial theme of the movement. Calvert added another challenging element by inserting dynamic extremes. A new section emerges at bar 35 in which the first half of the initial theme is presented in canon at the time interval of a half beat – very 3.22 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 19–21

bbb 3 >œ ‰ j ‰ ‰ j b & b 2 œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ >œ J > f pp bb 3 & b b b 2 œj ‰ œj ‰ œ ‰ j œ > pp > œ œ œ >œ f j ? bb b 23 œ ‰ œJ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ >œ J bb œ> f pp

j 5 > 3 j j 4 œ œœJ ‰ ‰ œœJ œœ œœnnœœ 2 nœœ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ nœœ ‰ œœ œ nœ œ œ > œ œ >œ > pp ff mf 5 3 ‰ j œœ 4 j‰ ‰ j œ œ 2 j‰ j‰ œ œ œœ > œ œ œ œ œœ > > pp mf > ff 5 œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ œ 3 œj ‰ œj ‰ œ nœ ‰ œj œ nœœ >œœ 4 J 2 œ œ œn œ œ œ J > mf

pp

ff

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j > Œ ‰‰ 4 & b 4 ‰ Œ ‰ œ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b˙ J˙ œJ ‰ Œ Ó > p > p ? 44 œj >˙ ™ ∑ Œ b >

j‰ Œ Ó œ ∑

p

3.23

Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 53–55

close at this tempo. The canon initially appears between first trumpet and trombone, then between French horn and tuba. When the second part of the theme arrives (bar 45), the music is simpler and employs only fragments of the melody. The brief further development that follows employs the first three bars of the initial theme, but Calvert divided the first two bars of the theme between trombone, horn, and second trumpet – a striking orchestrational idea that is presented at two different pitch levels (see example 3.23). To complete this short section, bar 3 appears in parallel in the trumpets and horn, then is abruptly compressed to the sixteenth-note anacrusic figure to bar 3 and passed around the ensemble very quickly – an instance where the intersection of lines is challenging. Simultaneously, the trombone presents a version of the initial theme in accented, augmented note values, another cantus firmus–like passage. The recapitulation begins at bar 62 and is an exact recall of the first seventeen bars of the movement. A very fast coda, based primarily on bar 3 of the theme, culminates in an intricate passage where overlapping imitation creates a considerable ensemble challenge. Simultaneous rapid scales, C-sharp major ascending in first trumpet and C-flat major descending in tuba, form a wedge figure that leads to a short, heavily accented F major chord that concludes the movement and the suite. An Occasional Suite, Calvert’s second commission for professional musicians, apparently inspired him to write original music not dependent on existing sources such as folk songs or hymn tunes. The structuring of such material required him to apply the well-established forms of “absolute” music. He also seems to have felt that this music should be highly imitative, perhaps from a sense that these forms necessitated it, but more likely because he was composing for a professional brass quintet. Employing various types of imitation allowed for

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4 bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ nœ œ & b 4 œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ f mp 4 # œ & b 4 ‰ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ #œ œ p

4 &b 4 ‰

œ œ œ œ #œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ f p >œ b >œ b b >œ > > œ œ œ ‰ b>œ J

? b 44 ‰

p

bœ &b J ‰ &b &b ?b

j‰ ‰ nœ#œ#œ œ nœ œ j‰ Œ nœ bœbœ œ nœ œ œ j #œ œ#œ œ ‰ ‰ bœ œ œ œ œ >œ #>œ >œ #>œ f

3.24

f

‰ œ œ œJ ‰

Ó

j‰ Œ œœœ Ó j‰ Œ œ Œ

‰

‰

j‰ Œ œ œ œ

Tuba

f

‰

∑ ‰

j‰ Ó œœœ ∑

j‰ Œ œ œ œ

Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 57–61

more balanced individual parts throughout the ensemble. And employing original melodies allowed him to expand the harmonic context considerably beyond what he had used previously, with the possible exception of his highly chromatic setting of What a Friend We Have in Jesus (1957). Perhaps the best summation of the suite as a whole was in a review of a concert by the Florida Brass Quintet in October 2001, written by Richard Storm in the Sarasota Herald–Tribune: “Spikey and energetic, this is the kind of ‘wrong note’ music that brings a smile to one’s face. The suite makes amusing reference to other brass traditions, and employs shifting meters to keep everyone alert … the overall effect is expertly cheerful.”93 Calvert had another Centennial-year commission that he had difficulty completing. The work, Canadian Folk Song Suite or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs, is one of his best-known compositions; its popularity almost matches that of Suite from the Monteregian Hills, to which it is

Ó

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related. Originally scored for brass band, and later transcribed for concert band, its gestation period was considerably longer than its commissioner had expected. Brian Ring, bandmaster of the Earlscourt Citadel, asked Calvert for a work on Canadian folk songs to perform at a national Salvation Army Congress in Toronto on Thanksgiving weekend, 6–9 October 1967. The composition produced became the Canadian Folk Song Suite or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs. By the time of the Congress, Calvert had finished only two of the three movements, which were performed by the Earlscourt Band and, according to reports from the Congress, “thrilled the audience” and consisted of “one folk song from Quebec, the other from Newfoundland.”94 The finished suite has two Quebec folk songs (Marianne s’en va-t-au moulin and J’entends le moulin) as its first and third movements and one Newfoundland folk song as its second (She’s Like the Swallow), but according to Calvert himself, it was the first two movements of the suite that were performed at this time. In actual fact, Marianne s’en va-t-au moulin is a re-scoring of the first movement of Suite from the Monteregian Hills, written six years earlier. The suite was still not finished by early February 1968. The Earlscourt Band sponsored a festival of contemporary Salvation Army music, called “Salvation Sounds ’68,” on 3 February 1968, which included music either still in manuscript or not yet heard in Toronto. Again, the first two movements were performed. According to the War Cry: “Bandmaster Ring’s sensitive interpretation brought forward the full colour of the rich scoring that would without doubt please, and certainly do credit to the arranger.”95 However, the entire suite apparently was completed shortly afterward, since it was premiered by the New York Staff Band conducted by Bandmaster Vernon Post at its annual festival in New York City in February 1968. They also played it at the Bandmasters’ Council in Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, in June of the same year.96 The work was well received in its initial performances and was subsequently taken up by the International Staff Band.97 Brian Ring and the Earlscourt Citadel Band recorded it (along with Reckon on Me) on their Musical Canadiana LP released in May 1969,98 and it was published by the Salvation Army in 1970. Calvert also prepared a concert band version called Suite on Canadian Folk Songs for the Lakeshore Concert Band. This version languished unpublished until 2006, although it was well known to concert band conductors and was performed regularly

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in Canada and occasionally abroad, using mostly illicit parts.99 Calvert himself did not particularly object to such performances. In an interview with the Barrie Banner in 1986 he remarked: “I’ve never done it [composed] for the money. I don’t have a commercial bone in my body. For me, the fact that it’s played [his music] is the important thing.”100 The title of this suite has mutated several times. Calvert’s autograph working copy score of the first movement is titled Canadian Folk Song Suite, but a prepublication autograph score and parts on rice paper displays the title Suite on Canadian Folk Songs.101 However, when the work was published by Salvationist Publications, the editors, for no apparent reason, reverted to the original working-copy title. It seems clear that Calvert preferred Suite on Canadian Folk Songs, since this is the title that appears on all the completed autograph scores. As a result of these name changes, the two published band versions of the work have different titles, depending on the scoring, with the resulting confusion. Calvert wrote a substantial program note ostensibly for inclusion in the score when the work was published by Salvationist Publications in 1970. Unfortunately, it was not printed in the brass band score but is included in the concert band edition, published by Eighth Note Publications in 2006. Since it provides important information about the work’s history, it is quoted here in full: This three-movement suite was written in commemoration of Canada’s Centennial, 1967, marking the 100th anniversary of Confederation. The first two movements were first performed by Earlscourt Citadel Band at the National Congress held in Toronto in October, 1967. The entire suite was first performed by the New York Staff Band [conducted by Vernon Post] at its annual festival in New York in February, 1968. This band also featured the work at the Bandmasters’ Councils programme given in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on June 1st of the same year, and subsequently appeared on the recording of that evening’s concert. The suite is in three movements; the first and the last being arrangements of French Canadian folk songs, and the middle movement an arrangement of a folk song from the province of Newfoundland.

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I.

Marianne s’en va-t-au moulin (Marianne sawn vaw toe mooleh(n)). This is a “rewrite” of the first movement of the composer’s own suite for brass quintet “From the Monteregian Hills.” The English translation of the title is “Marianne went to the mill,” and is a story of a young girl who went to the mill to grind some grain. While there her donkey was eaten by a wolf. II. She’s Like the Swallow. This melody, in the Dorian mode, is typical of the slow-melody folk songs of the island province of Newfoundland with its simple, unhurried way of life, dictated largely by the isolation of the remote and myriad fishing villages dotting the vast and rugged coastline. The words of the first verse of this poignant love-song are as follows: She’s like the swallow that flies so high, She’s like the river that never runs dry, She’s like the sunlight on the lee-shore, I’ll love my love, and love is no more. III. J’entends la Moulin (Jzaw(n)taw(n) le mooleh(n)). Another French Canadian folk song about a mill – “I hear the millwheel.” Cast in the form of theme and variations, we take time out in the middle of the movement for yet another feature of rural life in the Province of Quebec – the country dance – complete with fiddle-tune and hand clapping. The intensity of the movement increases from variation to variation, concluding in a swirling frenzy.102 In this composition, Calvert did not alter the folk songs in any way, choosing instead to provide variety through the supporting material – harmony, counterpoint, and scoring. As observed earlier, this approach is similar to how Percy Grainger used folk music and has been called “accompaniment variation.” As noted above, the first movement, Marianne s’en va-t-au moulin, is a transcription, from brass quintet, of the comparable movement from Suite from the Monteregian Hills. The three versions of this movement are essentially identical. Calvert took the opportunity to thicken some textures in the band versions and add percussion – snare drum,

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer 3.25 Canadian Folk Song Suite, Mvt. 1, bars 67–69

3.26A Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 1, bars 110–112 3.26B Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 1, bars 110–112

Ϫ

Soprano cornet

6 &b 8 Œ ‰

mf Cornet 1 and 2

6 & b 8 Œ ‰ œœ™™ mf

b6 &b 8 Ϊ

6 &8

∑

119

œ œ œ œ œ œ J ‰ ‰ Œ™ J j œœ œœ œ œ œ œj ‰ ‰ Œ ™ œ œ œ

> Œ #œj nœ ™ œ ‰ ∑ > mf > œ ‰ Œ™ Œ #œj nœ ™ > f

bass drum, cymbals, and triangle in the brass band edition; the same plus timpani in the concert band version. A few other small, but notable, differences can also be observed. A fifth entry was added to the opening pyramid, which transforms the chord that is built up from A-flat major with added sixth to another of Calvert’s favourite sonorities: A-flat major with added second and sixth. A brief descant-like figure appears in the soprano cornet at bars 67–68 of the brass band score, which is not present in either the brass quintet or concert band editions, and adds impetus to this important cadence to F major. The final statement of the wrong-note trumpet fanfare that was postulated as representing “Marianne’s cries of distress when she discovers the death of her donkey” in the earlier analysis of Suite from the Monteregian Hills, is delayed by one beat in both band versions. Calvert probably moved this figure to add momentum to bars 111–112, which have little impulse in the brass quintet setting. Other than these small changes, a number of accents on syncopated notes present in the brass quintet and concert band versions do not appear in the autograph or published brass band scores. Perhaps Calvert felt that the accents were appropriate for the trumpets in the quintet and concert band but unsuited to the warmer tone of the conical instruments (cornets) of the brass band. Also, the accelerando that appears in the last four bars of the brass quintet is not indicated in either

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band score, although it is often interpolated into both band versions in performance. The second movement, She’s Like the Swallow, is another of Calvert’s much-admired compositions and, as will be seen, is certainly one of the most beautiful of the simpler settings of this well-known tune. Calvert set three verses, each harmonized and scored differently and in contrasting textures. The first two are in D minor, the third in F minor, but as is usual in Calvert’s music, the harmony is decorated with added-note chords, passing notes, suspensions, and neighbouring tones that generate great poignancy. She’s Like the Swallow is sung to several slightly different tunes. The Dorian tune used by Calvert was collected by Maud Karpeles (1885– 1976) in 1930; she included it in both her two-volume Folk Songs from Newfoundland and in the popular collection for voice and piano, Fifteen Folk Songs from Newfoundland, published in England in 1934. The piano accompaniments for the latter collection were by England’s distinguished composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958). In 1930, the song was not well known and rarely sung in the oral tradition of Newfoundland’s outports. The revival of interest in English folk music during the 1930s aroused interest in Newfoundland as well, and the songs of the outports became representative of the country as a whole,103seen as cultural icons. She’s Like the Swallow is an exception, illustrative of connections to the old world, to old England. Karpeles’s publications changed its status. It became very well-known across Canada and beyond, and has attracted the interest of many composers.104 In addition to Vaughan Williams’s accompaniments, Benjamin Britten, Godfrey Ridout, Keith Bissell, and others have produced versions for voice and keyboard (harp in the Britten setting), and choral settings abound.105 Instrumental settings are less common, but Robert Fleming included it in his Centennial project, Four Fantasias on Canadian Folk Themes for band or orchestra, and it forms the second movement of Harry Somers’s Little Suite for String Orchestra on Canadian Folk Songs (1955).106 Fleming’s approach differs significantly from Calvert’s. While Calvert never fragmented the melody and his always quiet dynamics and generally transparent scoring project a gentle, intimate atmosphere, Fleming extracted motives from the tune for a series of imitative episodes that become texturally complex and are more robust in character. Calvert apparently intended to reflect the tragic aspects of the song; Fleming saw the tune as source material for

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a skilfully constructed, contrapuntal exploration of its elements. Somers’s setting parallels Calvert’s to a much greater degree. Like Calvert, he does not alter the melody and surrounds it with multiple lines of modal counterpoint, some of which are drawn from the tune. Unlike Calvert, Somers’s final verse is an exact repeat of his first verse, a procedure that reflects the best-known text of this song, written by Karpeles, where the final stanza duplicates the first.107 Calvert was probably familiar with She’s Like the Swallow since it was performed and recorded by popular folksingers in the 1950s,108 but he also could have found it in Folk Songs of Canada (1954) by Edith Fowke and Richard Johnston, another publication widely used in Canadian schools. In Calvert’s setting, an eight-bar introduction over a double pedal point (D–A) establishes the tonal centre. The first verse, played by euphonium in the brass band and unison clarinets in the concert band score, is set simply, but with several interesting insertions that add momentum and expression. The first of these occurs at bars 15–16 (cornets in the brass band, saxophones in the concert band) and crosses the phrase break in the melody. Since the words at this point are “the river that never runs dry,” this eliding of the phrases may have programmatic intent. It is echoed immediately in first trombone and generates momentum through contrary-motion counterpoint with the tune. A third insertion in the horns in the brass band and flutes/saxophones in the concert band supports the end of the melodic line and effects a smooth connection into the next verse (see example 3.27). In verse two, the melody is transferred to the upper voices. The scoring is considerably fuller with numerous contrapuntal strands, the most notable of which is a rolling eighth-note line in euphonium that includes the chord tones in each bar but also adds chromatic pitches not in any other part. The additional movement in the music may be intended to reflect the increased activity in the text of the second verse: ’Twas down in the meadow this fair maid bent, A-picking the primrose as she went. The more she picked, the more she pulled, Until she gathered her apron full.109 Following the second verse, Calvert recalls the introduction and then uses the first two bars of the tune to accomplish a skilful modulation to F minor. Harmonically, he employs augmented sixth chords

3 ∑ ∑ & b 43 Œ122 A Life in Music b ∑ ∑ Œ & 4 Euphonium/Clarinets ? b 433 Euphonium/Clarinets œ ˙˙ ∑ œœ œœ œ∑ œœ ˙ Œ 4 & œ ? b 43 œ ˙ mf Euphonium/Clarinets ? b 433 mfœŒ ˙ ∑ œ œ œ∑ œ ˙ ? ? bb 443 Œ ∑ ∑ mf ? b 43 Œ ∑ ∑ &b &b ?b & ?b ? ? bb ?b

?b

&b &b ?b & ?b ? ? bb ?b ?b

j ˙ œj ‰ ˙ œ ‰ ˙ œ ˙˙ œœj ‰ ˙ œ Trombones ˙˙™ œ Trombones ˙™ ˙™

p Trombones p

œ œ œ œ œ œ

∑ ∑

∑ ∑

∑ ∑

∑

∑

∑

∑ ∑ œ œ œ∑ œ

œœ œ œ

Cornets/Saxophones

∑ Cornets/Saxophones #œ œ #œ ∑ pœœœ œœœ #œœ œœœ #œœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ Cornets/Saxophones œ pœ œ nœ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ ∑ ∑œ ˙ ∑œ ∑ œ œœ œœ #nœœ ˙œœ #œ œœ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ p œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ ˙ œ ∑œ ˙ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ

∑ ∑ œ œ œ∑ œ

œ œ œ

œœ œ œ

pFlugelhorn,1st Horn/Flutes, Saxophones

j œ™ œj œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ mf œ™ œ œ œ Horn/Flutes, Flugelhorn,1st Saxophones œ œ mf œ œœ ™ œ œj œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ mf œ œ œ œ∑ œ ∑ œ ∑ ∑ Flugelhorn,1st Horn/Flutes, Saxophones

œ™ œ™ ˙œ ™™ ˙™ ˙™

∑

∑

∑ ∑

œ˙ n˙ œ n˙

œ˙ œ

œ

œ n˙ j œj œ œ œ j œ œ ∑ ∑

∑ ∑

œ ∑ œ

˙ ˙

œ ∑ œ

˙ ˙

∑

œ ˙ ˙ ˙

Œ Œ

œ Œ Œ

Œ

Œ Œ Œ

∑ Œ ∑

∑∑ ∑

3.27 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 2, ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ bars 9–25

functioning as dominants to move toward the new key, then introduces a series of CV7–F minor progressions decorated by falling second “sigh” figures. The last four bars of the modulation are over a double pedal (F–C) recalling the beginning of the movement, and firmly establishing the new key. Calvert’s final verse is the most intimate of the three, perhaps reflecting the fact that the pregnant young woman in the song has been abandoned by her lover. Resonant, modal counterpoint, consisting mainly

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of parallel descending lines, augments the tenderness and poignancy of the music. In the brass band version, this verse utilizes solo instruments until the final phrase of the melody. In the concert band score, the same three phrases are scored almost exclusively for the clarinet section. Calvert’s music flows into and through the final phrase of the song by means of a remarkable chord progression: Ger. 6 on F-flat, A-flat major ninth with added sixth, D-flat major seventh with added second and fourth, C minor with added second, B-flat minor seventh, E-flat V7, F minor (see example 3.28). A short coda closes the movement. Running eighth notes, initially in coupled sixths, then mostly in first inversion triads, rise gently into the high register, perhaps “the swallow that flies so high.” Chords decorated with suspensions lead to the final sonority, F minor with added second and sixth, a chord found often in Calvert’s music. The concert band version has an entirely appropriate diminuendo and rallentando in the last few bars that do not appear in the brass band version, neither in the published score nor in Calvert’s fair copy autograph. Although both versions are strikingly inspired, it seems reasonable to observe that this movement benefitted from the broader range of tone colour available in the concert band as opposed to the brass band. For example, the insertions in the first verse stand out quite dramatically against the unison clarinets on the melody. In the second verse, the melody is assigned to the cornets in the brass band version, which does generate contrast with the euphonium melody in the first verse; however, the contrast is enhanced in the concert band edition when the melody appears in first trumpet instead of clarinets. And the clarinet-section scoring of the melody of the third verse is one of 3.28 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 2, bars 66–70 (harmony only)

b 3 œ & b bb 4 ˙ œ n˙ ? b b 43 bb ? bb b 43 b˙˙ ™™ b b ˙™

˙œœ œ œœœ œ œ œ Œ Œ n ˙˙ ™™ n˙ ™™ ˙

œœ œ œ ˙˙ œ œœœ ˙ œ ˙˙ œœ ˙˙˙ ˙˙

œœ œœ œ

œ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ œœ ˙˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙

œœ œ œ

Œ œœ Œ œ œœ Œ œœœ œœ Œ

Œ Œ Œ Œ

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the most breathtaking clarinet passages in the entire concert band repertoire, as well as being an excellent example of fine modal counterpoint. All of these attributes contribute to the exquisite charm of the movement, which is treasured by brass and concert bands alike and is often performed independently of the rest of the suite. The folk song on which the third movement is based, J’entends la Moulin, is an energetic dance tune.110 Calvert probably selected it because the mill image complemented the first movement, but it also provided him the opportunity of alluding to a Québécois country dance similar to the final movement of Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Structured as a theme with six variations, the intensity of the music, as noted by Calvert in his description of this movement, is increased with each variation through accumulating texture, key areas that rise by step from F minor to C minor, rhythmic development, and tempos that increase in speed from allegro ma non troppo to furioso. The theme, in F minor, is initially presented as a euphonium solo in both versions, although bassoon is another option in the concert band score. Calvert 3.29 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 1–23 or 1–12 Euphonium (one)

? b b 42 œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bb p

? bb b 42 b

leggiero e ritmico

Trombones

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

tutti ? b b œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœœœ œ œ œœœ œ bb

? bb b b

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

one

? b b œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœœœ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ bb J

∑

∑

j‰ Œ ∑ œ œ œ œ œ œJ ‰ Œ

one

? bb b b

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

pp

pp one (muted)

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indicated his concept of the profile of the melody by doubling the third and fourth phrases, and throughout the variations, the third phrase in particular is highlighted by doubling or by additional counterpoint. A curious extension consisting of two trombones repeating the last bar of the theme in canon, with the second entry muted, leads to variation one. 111 The music of the first variation is primarily concerned with the theme, which is thickened somewhat: flugelhorn and baritones in the brass band edition, unison clarinets in the concert band score. In the concert band version, the third phrase is again given extra weight by doubling the clarinets with alto and tenor saxophones. Calvert also added sparing percussion that generally contributes momentum across phrase breaks, but also begins the process of gradually accumulating texture that will characterize the following variations. The end of the theme is extended over a percussion solo, and an F-sharp diminished chord impels the music up to G-minor for the next variation. In variation two, the role of the percussion is expanded, becoming almost continuous, and a chordal accompaniment, in disjunctive rhythm, appears in the low voices. Calvert emphasized the third bar of the theme by imitating the cornet/trumpet melody in the trombones reinforced by snare drum, which effectively supports the melodic profile, but its relative simplicity leaves plenty of opportunity for accumulating textures in succeeding variations. The modulation between variation two and three is considerably more adroit than the abrupt one-chord key change that led into variation two. Calvert utilized the first motive of the theme at different pitch levels and imitation in the lower voices, as well as a fragment 3.30 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 53–57 or 26–29

b2 œ œ & b 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ Cornets

? bb 42 œœœ ‰ Œ J drum ? bb 42 Snare œ ‰ Œ J Trombones

œœ œJ ‰ Œ œ ‰ Œ J

œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ ‰ œœ ‰ œ œ æœ æ

œœ ∑ œœ- œœ œ b œ œ œœ J ‰ Œ

œ œœœ æ

œ ‰ Œ J

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2 &4 œ œ œ œ œ

œ

œ œ œœ œœ œœ

œœ œœ œœ œœ

œœ

∑

mf

2 œœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ ∑ œ œ œœœ œœœ œœœ &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ ˙ >œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœ ? 42 œ >œ J J mf œ j >œ >œ ? 42 œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ nœœ ˙˙ œ œ œ b œ œ J mf

3.31 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 81–85 or 41–43

of an E major scale rising in coupled thirds, to raise the pitch level to A minor. Variation three does not start immediately. Instead, Calvert inserted a brief interlude that establishes a vamp in the low voices and horns (saxophones as well in the concert band version), which underlies virtually all of variation three and makes the music seem to stand still until the theme enters a few bars later.112 The vamp ceases only at the third phrase of the melody where Calvert introduced additional counterpoint in the cornets and trombones (trumpets, clarinets, and trombones in the concert band edition). The figures appearing here, especially those in the trombones, foreshadow the fiddle tune fragments that are soon to materialize. During the last few bars of variation three, parallel descending chromatic lines blur the sense of key centre and lead to an interlude that Calvert described as a French-Canadian country dance. Heavily accented, dissonant chords in the low voices probably represent foot stamping, which separates four instances of multiple simultaneous fiddle tune phrases in the upper voices supported by hand clapping in much of the ensemble. Not surprisingly, the fiddle tune excerpts again suggest players who “do not always get [their] fingers on the strings in the correct spots.” As noted earlier, Quebec fiddlers almost invariably stamped, or clogged, in time with the music or, in certain cases, especially for reels, applied foot-tapping patterns to their playing where they would alternate heel and toe rapidly with the heel marking the main beat and the toe supporting the unaccented beats.113 Apparently, such stamping

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could be exceptionally robust. In 1821, one observer described an old fiddler who stamped so forcefully that the glasses in the cupboard rattled vigorously like a cymbal keeping time with the music.114 When Folkways Records documented Quebec folk music in the 1950s and 1960s, they recorded a number of performers who accompanied themselves with foot tapping, including a harmonica player performing the

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reel “Danse Carré”; a fiddler playing an unnamed “Fiddle Reel”; and a square dance, “La Bastringue,” where all the musicians tapped in time with the dancer’s feet.115 As late as 1981, Roy W. Gibbons observed that clogging, not just on the beat but also in “a variety of steps,” was widespread in Quebec.116 Hand clapping has an equally long history. Kallmann suggests that in the early years of settlement, clapping may have been the means of marking the rhythm when no instrument was available;117 he further documents the same activity after 1800: “singing, whistling, hand clapping or the thwack and jingle of the tambourine led the dancers when no melody instruments were to be found.”118 Cecil Sharp experienced this very situation at a school in Pine Mountain, Kentucky, in 1915–16 when someone called out, “Let’s run a set,” and a dance immediately began. Since no instruments were present, the people clapped a beat for the singers. Sharp dubbed these dances “running sets,”119 the term for similar old English dances that were transferred to the Appalachian region by English immigrants. Ralph Vaughan Williams evoked this tradition in 1933 in his orchestral work The Running Set.120 These improvised versions of the square dance were also popular across rural Canada from the late nineteenth century until well into the twentieth, and were revived more recently. Square dances, called le set carré, le set callé, la danse callée, or les squares américains in Quebec,121 have often included hand clapping, particularly when the dancers move to the side to allow individual couples to execute more intricate steps in the middle of the floor, or when the caller instructs certain of the dancers to clap, as can be confirmed in any caller’s manual.122 Hand clapping as accompaniment to traditional dances is apparently well remembered in Quebec. Richard Handler described a staged exhibition of folk dancing that he observed during the Quebec Winter Carnival in 1978: “Eight young people took their places for a danse carrée … A group of musicians … struck up a lively reel … and four couples bounced and twirled their way through the square dance. Other revellers gathered round to clap an accompaniment while audience members marvelled at the precision with which these youngsters danced ‘the old dances.’”123 Calvert was obviously aware of these practices when he composed this movement of Canadian Folk Song Suite. His accented, lowregister, dissonant chords would seem to be in the spirit of the fiddler who made the glasses rattle in 1821, and he combined hand clapping as an accompaniment to the fiddle tune fragments. He also set them

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in call-and-response texture to emphasize their difference. Since the “foot stomping” is in the low register and the hand clapping in a higher tessitura, it is easy to visualize the men at the dance enthusiastically stamping and the women responding with clapping. At variation four the accelerando that ultimately culminates in “a swirling frenzy” begins. Before the theme enters, Calvert inserted another feature that is almost a vamp. Muted cornets/trumpets rapidly reiterate two-chord figures a semi-tone apart. The energy generated by the reiteration propels the music forward. The two-chord figure persists through virtually the complete variation. Attention is again drawn to the third phrase, but this time, in contrast to all previous instances, the texture is reduced rather than expanded. The tempo is again increased at variation five, which also displays the fullest scoring in this movement and presents the most significant performance challenge in the entire suite. The theme is assigned to the high voices supported by an accompaniment that is forcefully accented 3.33 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 134–145 or 68–73

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and incorporates syncopation and other off-the-beat accents. The harmony, as is usually the case with Calvert’s music, is comprised of seventh and ninth chords, other added-note sonorities, and polychords. This section is the apex of the movement and, in effect, the climax of the entire work. By variation six the tempo has increased to presto. Perhaps because of the very fast tempo, Calvert simplified the texture. However, the theme is presented in canon for the first time, which preserves the momentum and sustains the drive toward the cadence. The coda, marked furioso, initially presents a rapid hemiola figure in the upper voices over a chord in fifths that seems to be leading directly to the cadence; however, Calvert creates another surprise by inserting a euphonium statement of the first motive of the theme. In the concert band version, this is specified for one player and marked piano, and is highly dramatic in context. The brass band score does not specify a solo and no dynamic marking appears, suggesting that it be played fortissimo, although the abrupt reduction in texture is similarly striking. A rising scalic sweep in the upper voices and a whole-tone cluster in the rest of the ensemble precedes a conventional dominant-tonic cadence in C minor. Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs) is one of Calvert’s most successful pieces. It very quickly entered the brass band repertoire and continues to receive many performances. The concert band version, arranged for the Lakeshore Concert Band in 1967–68, was not published for four decades, despite receiving many performances in manuscript, mostly with unauthorized performance materials. Since publication in 2006, this version is well on its way to equalling the popularity of its brass band cousin. After the publication of the concert band version, David Buckley of Hamilton commented: “This is a very useful piece. Not especially difficult to play, interesting to audiences, full of unexpected turns of phrase and written with thorough understanding of the capabilities of the instruments.”124 Mr Buckley’s comments have been shown to be particularly astute. Internet searches show that in recent years this work has been performed by college/ university ensembles across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, it has been programmed by high school bands in Newfoundland, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia, as well as by college and youth bands in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

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Another intriguing work from this same time period is Calvert’s multiple settings of the Canadian Christmas carol “Jesous Ahatonia,” better known as “The Huron Carol.” He seems to have been particularly fond of this carol since he produced multiple versions of it between 1968 and 1971. A setting for women’s choir (1968) appears to be the first rendering of this music, although the best-known version, for brass band, and another setting for brass ensemble are also dated 1968. In 1970, he produced an arrangement for orchestra, one of his very few orchestral works, and by 1971, he had adapted the orchestral setting for concert band, especially for the Lakeshore Concert Band.125 Rosehill Music, a publishing arm of the Salvation Army,126 published the brass band score in 1983 as Two Canadian Christmas Carols, along with Il est né, a re-scoring of the fourth movement of Suite from the Monteregian Hills. However, the arrangements of these two carols were well known in the brass band world long before their publication, and the brass ensemble version, finally published in 2006, was commissioned by the CBC for broadcast in 1968.127 The concert band version of “Jesous Ahatonia” was largely unknown until its publication in 2010. The orchestral setting was published in 2012; the choral version remains in manuscript. The carol was written in the 1640s, ostensibly by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit missionary to the Wendat (Huron) confederacy in central Ontario. Brébeuf apparently adapted an old French song, “Une jeune pucelle” (A Young Maiden), as the melody for his carol,128 but it is not certain that this is the actual tune he used to teach the carol to the First Nations people to whom he ministered. The music was not written down for more than a century. It was collected from the devastated Wendat nation around Lorette, Quebec, in the eighteenth century by Father de Villeneuve, a Jesuit.129 Nonetheless, the purpose of the carol was to teach the Christian Christmas story to the Wendat confederacy using imagery drawn from their history and surroundings. The original words were in the Wendat language, but the carol is now sung in French and English as well. The English translation, written by Jesse Edgar Middleton in 1926,130 is the text used by Calvert for his setting for women’s choir. Three of Calvert’s versions of this carol – for women’s choir, for brass band, and for brass ensemble – all date from 1968, and while somewhat more is known about the brass band and brass ensemble settings, the circumstances attending the creation of the choral version, most likely the original, are obscure. Curiously, identical autograph copies of the

132

4 & 4 œj

A Life in Music

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3.34 Jesous Ahatonia

choral parts alone, dated 1968 and 1970, as well as a version for choir with piano (1970) have survived, but it is no longer clear why Calvert rewrote the choral parts in 1970 since no changes were made. This version remains virtually unknown to choral conductors and performers. The choral version is the simplest of the various settings, with straightforward, non-functional harmony and textures that are mostly homophonic. The voice parts are varied in each of the four verses, beginning in unison but expanding to three and four parts. The piano is always in support of the singers providing pitch, but virtually never doubling the voices, and contributing a brief introduction, interludes between the verses, and a dramatic coda. It may be instructive to note that the left hand of the piano offers almost continuous open fifths (frequent parallel octaves as well), probably intended to connect this music to prevailing impressions in the 1960s of First Nations music in North America. The choir sings in unison for practically all of the first verse but breaks into closed position three-part harmony at the words of the refrain: “Jesus your King is born, / Jesus is born, / In excelsis gloria.”131 Calvert set this textual phrase to the same musical idea in three of the four verses. For most of the initial verse, the piano plays sustained chords; in fact, the first six bars display only two chords, A minor and D major. While D major is one of the forms of the subdominant in A minor, these

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer

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3.35 Jesous Ahatonia (choral version), bars 9–12

chords do not set up a plagal relationship. The tune avoids a raised leading tone creating the natural minor or Aeolian mode, and Calvert’s harmony, at least initially, appears to be drawn from Dorian mode creating a bi-modal effect. The choir is in three-part harmony for most of the second verse. The melody is in first soprano, and the chords under it are almost exclusively first inversion triads, apparently an evocation of the fifteenth-century practice of fauxbourdon, and perhaps a means of connecting this setting to the time period in which this melody is supposed to have been written. Until the last two phrases of text, the voices move rhythmically in lock step, reminiscent of a hymn. At the third phrase, the accompanying voices sing independent lines using syllables instead of words. The piano arpeggiates the underlying harmony providing additional momentum and a bass to the inverted chords. Toward the end of the verse, the harmonic rhythm in the piano is sped up and some of the chords function tonally, including a couple of dominant-tonic cadences in A minor. The piano interlude before the upcoming verse begins by repeating the familiar A minor–D major progression but then moves through a series of ninth chords to accomplish a modulation to E minor. The third verse is more contrapuntal in both choir and piano than has been the case to this point. The melody is in the alto voices while the two soprano parts, using syllables, sing a sustained-note accompaniment above the tune that creates an ethereal effect, perhaps inspired by the mystical image of the birth of Christ in the text. At the phrase “with gifts of fox and beaver pelt,” the upper voices, using the words, enter sequentially, creating another brief fauxbourdon before generating a rather ecstatic descant at the refrain: “Jesus your King is born, / Jesus is born.” The piano in this verse begins by playing sustained chords but by the third phrase has become more active than at any place earlier in this piece. It doubles some of the melodic line in the alto voices and adds new contrapuntal strands not in any other part. At the conclusion of

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# 4 œj œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œœ & 4J

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the verse, the piano is entrusted with executing a modulation back to A minor, which is accomplished in a highly unorthodox way: passing through the chords of F major, B-flat major seventh, E dominant seventh, and A minor. In the final verse, the choir again sings in unison except for the refrain. The piano continues its activity from the previous verse adding multiple new lines that rarely double any voice part and are often in contrary motion to the melody. The harmony throughout is based on an A minor triad, but continuously moving lines create passing dissonances and added-note chords. The overall effect, created harmonically and contrapuntally by the piano, is of substantial momentum toward the final cadence, energy that was probably intended to support the text, which states the fundamental message of the Christian Christmas story. At the refrain, the left hand of the piano imitates the melody for the first time in this piece. Calvert apparently liked this effect because he incorporated it into all his subsequent settings of this carol. The piece ends with a short coda for piano alone. A rapid series of chords simultaneously rise and fall leading to a fortissimo climax that employs the familiar A minor–D major progression. Calvert repeats 3.37 Jesous Ahatonia (choral version), bars 45–48

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the progression for four bars while he reduces the dynamic to pianissimo and the tempo almost to a standstill. The ending is curiously inconclusive. In a harp-like passage, the open fifth F-sharp/C-sharp is arpeggiated from the lowest to the highest F-sharp on the piano keyboard. While F-sharp has been present in the frequent D major chords, none of these chords has occurred in inversion nor has this pitch appeared in the low register. The open fifth obviously recalls many others throughout this work, but it also implies a triad on F-sharp, the sixth degree of the apparent key, A minor. Calvert did use one form of the submediant of A minor (F major) on several occasions, and A minor chords with an added F are also present, but no prominent chord with an F-sharp root ever appears. One can only speculate as to Calvert’s idea when he conceived of this unusual ending. Perhaps he thought of it as a kind of summary of his extensive use of sixth chords throughout this composition, or more likely, it represented a spiritual idea, although what that might have been was apparently never recorded. The brass ensemble version, scored for three trumpets, four horns, three trombones, baritone, and tuba, was apparently written for a CBC broadcast shortly before Christmas 1968.132 It was not published until 2006 and until that time was virtually unknown. Calvert set only two verses but expanded the piece with a substantial introduction, coda, and an interlude between the verses. During the second verse, brief insertions appear between the phrases of the tune. Considerably more complex musically than the choral setting, this version includes many of Calvert’s favourite harmonic devices, such as added-note and passing chords, but also features streams of parallel sonorities including sevenths, major chords, and inverted triads. The texture is highly contrapuntal, emphasizing contrary motion, note exchanges, and canonic imitation. All subsequent instrumental versions – brass band, concert band, and orchestra – are re-scorings of this edition. The twelve-bar introduction presents the musical materials out of which the piece will be constructed. Fragments of the carol tune, particularly the music of the refrain and the first motive of the melody, are sprinkled through these bars, surrounded by numerous motives derived from them. Also introduced are textural and timbral procedures that will generate the work’s momentum and scoring. The various sections of the ensemble rarely play together; usually, they respond to each other or generate contrary motion counterpoint. The streams of parallel sonorities, important elements of this music, are also introduced in

136

A Life in Music

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3.38 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 13–19

these initial bars. The intersections of the many lines often create very sharp passing dissonances. The melody enters at bar 13 played in unison by the four horns. For the first two phrases, the trumpets provide an accompaniment that is mostly first inversion triads and in contrary motion to the tune. This texture and derivatives of it persist throughout the work. At the third phrase of the melody, the texture is simplified. The trumpets are silenced, and the trombones contribute open position sustained chords. However, the chords are chosen so that the melody in the horns adds a seventh to the trombone chords on every strong beat. A new baritone line generates note-exchange counterpoint with part of the melody. Calvert apparently wanted to not only vary the texture but also maintain momentum. The music of the refrain for this verse is scored for trumpets in threepart harmony, reminiscent of these bars in the choral version; however,

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the harmonic context is enriched beyond that of the earlier setting with added-note chords, sevenths, and ninths. The climax of this section is reached, not surprisingly, at the music representing the words “In excelsis Gloria,” with the full ensemble engaged for the first time, and a quick crescendo to forte. At this point, Calvert inserted an eight-bar interlude that modulates from D minor to A minor and presents some of the most colourful scoring in the work as the various sections of the ensemble respond to each other, mostly in streams of parallel sonorities. Like the introduction, the first motive of the refrain and the first bar of the tune underlie this section, clearly connecting it to previous music. Interestingly, when Calvert uses the refrain motive, he moves it off the first beat of the bar, which adds an unexpected rhythmic modification, and may be intended to prepare for the end of the second verse where this 3.39

Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 22–27

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A Life in Music

motive will be imitated canonically, as it had been near the end of the choral version. The second verse is initially scored more intimately than the first, although it grows to the major climax of the work. The entire melody is assigned to the first trumpet with a sparing accompaniment in low trumpets and low brass. Between the phrases, Calvert combines one, then two horns with the baritone and tuba133 in insertions that present an answer to the melody, first in parallel major chords, then in parallel minor seventh chords. The increase from three- to four-part chords begins the gradual crescendo to the climax. At the third phrase of the melody, the trumpet is doubled by first trombone, while the horns recall the note-exchange countermelody that appeared at this same point in the previous verse. The primary feature of the climax is a canon between the trumpets and the low brass on the first phrase of the refrain. The music for “In excelsis Gloria” is also in canon between the trumpets and horns. The imitation presented here is a considerable expansion on what had appeared in the choral version where Calvert had first introduced the canon at this point in the work. Underneath the final phrase of the refrain, the low trumpets and high trombones combine to contribute a familiar contrapuntal idea – parallel first inversion triads, another touch of well-considered musical integration. 3.40

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Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 38–41

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œœ œ œ œœ œ œ

œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œœ œ œ

œ œ œœœ

œœ

Trombones f

œœ œœ

œ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œ ˙œœ œœ œœ œ œœ Œ ÓÓ œ J ‰ Œ

œœœœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œ

f

? 44 Œ Œ

œœ

œ œœœ

Baritone/Tuba f

œ

Œ Ó

b œœœ

Œ Ó Œ Ó

œœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œbœ œ œ

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Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer 3.41 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 47–48

˙ 4 & 4 œj œ œ œ œ

139

w

pp muted

4 œ & 4 œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w pp open

4 & 4 œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w pp muted

Following the climax, Calvert quickly dissipates the tension and drama in a nine-bar coda that echoes the introduction through fragments of the melody but is texturally far more transparent, consisting mostly of short solo lines supported by sustained chords. As he had in the choral version, Calvert dramatically slowed the tempo and reduced the volume to a whisper. An interesting scoring idea that shows Calvert’s thorough understanding of brass instrument sonority and balance appears at bar 47. The three trumpets are playing alone: the first voice presents a kind of descant figure, the second offers the first motive of the melody, and the third contributes an accompanying figure. In the autograph score, Calvert marked the first and third part “muted” but left the second part without mute so that the melodic motive would easily be heard. Unlike the choral version, the ending leaves no sense of indecisiveness: the work concludes on an A minor chord that fades to silence. Calvert’s brass ensemble setting of “Jesous Ahatonhia” is an accomplished work in harmony, timbre, and texture. He was obviously pleased with it since he later re-scored it for three additional instrumental ensembles with essentially no changes to the musical content. However, in the subsequent versions he did avail himself of the colour resources accessible in these larger ensembles to enhance the impact and expression of this well-constructed music. Calvert transcribed his brass ensemble setting of “Jesous Ahatonhia” for brass band as the first of his Two Canadian Christmas Carols.134 The autograph score of this composition is dated August 1969, and the first performance was given quite possibly by the International Staff Band (with Calvert playing first cornet) in a performance at the International (William Booth Memorial) Training College, London, on 25 November

140

? b 44 Ó

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Œ

œ nœ œ J‰Œ Ó mf

3.42A Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bar 5 3.42B Jesous Ahatonia (brass band version), bar 5

4 &b 4 Ó ? b 44 Ó

j Œ œœ nœœ œœœ ‰ Œ Ó œ n œœ œ mf j Œ œ œ œ‰Œ Ó œœ œ

1969.135 While it was not published until 1983 by Rosehill Music, this setting of carols was being performed regularly by brass bands long before the Rosehill edition was released. Unfortunately, Rosehill printed the work with a condensed, two- and three-line score that makes it difficult to appreciate Calvert’s imaginative orchestration.136 The new version does not differ significantly from the brass ensemble setting. Because of the larger ensemble, many of the textures are thickened through doubling, and some of the orchestration is altered. For example, in bar 4, the low trumpet parts from the brass ensemble edition are transferred to trombones, although in exactly the same register, apparently to contrast the cylindrical brass sound with the conical brass timbre, which predominates in the brass band through the use of cornets rather than trumpets. Calvert reversed the approach at bars 19–20 where the first trombone part from the brass ensemble version is transferred to first baritone, probably to produce better blend with the cornets on the melody. He also added sparing percussion (snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, and triangle). During the second verse of the brass band version, Calvert frequently calls for solo instruments, unnecessary in the brass ensemble setting since the performing forces were already one-on-a-part. The larger forces of the brass band allowed Calvert to employ a wider range of timbral and textural contrast than was possible in the smaller ensemble. A few small changes to musical material can also be observed. For example, the annacrusic figure leading into bar 5 is in second trombone only in the brass ensemble version. Calvert expanded it into harmony for the brass band edition (see examples 3.42a and 3.42B ). Interestingly, the three-trumpet passage at bar 47, here played by cornets, is marked muted in all parts. Apparently, Calvert was not so concerned about the audibility of the second-voice melody in this context.

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Calvert’s brass band setting of Two Canadian Christmas Carols is well known among conductors and performers in Canada and abroad. It has been recorded numerous times and remains a perennial favourite for brass bands performing Christmas concerts. During the academic year 1969–70, Calvert was on sabbatical from the Lakeshore Regional School Board to take courses toward a master’s degree in music education at London University in the United Kingdom. Several sources, including Calvert himself, claim that a concert of his music was performed by the International Staff Band on the BBC during the spring of 1970.137 Unfortunately, no record of this concert appears to be preserved in BBC archives. Also, according to Florence Lewis Calvert, he arranged “Jesous Ahatonhia” for full orchestra for the BBC, apparently to illustrate that Canadian music had a history that began well before the twentieth century. This arrangement has been essentially “lost” among Calvert’s papers since 1970; however, Florence reported that it had been at least read through by Symphony Hamilton during their 1990–91 season.138 Former manager of the orchestra and trumpeter Graham Young also remembered the arrangement but was unsure about the details surrounding its association with Symphony Hamilton.139 It was finally published by Eighth Note Publications in 2012. The primary difference between the orchestral scoring and the brass versions, not surprisingly, is the transfer of important musical elements to the strings and the ability to contrast string timbre with woodwind and brass colours. The woodwinds often double the strings but, as in all good orchestral scoring, also have solo lines and short harmonized passages independently of other instruments. Calvert also took the opportunity to expand the register employed, especially into the high range with flutes and violins. Some of the brass passages are preserved, while others are substantially restructured or redistributed among the instruments. Calvert also featured solo timbres such as oboe, bassoon, and cello, which were not available in the brass scorings. The orchestral version has a timpani part that seems more appropriate to the music than the percussion used in the brass band scoring. The arrangement also displays a few musical elements not in the earlier versions. At bar 5, the trumpet parts from the brass versions are transferred to woodwinds and strings, and Calvert created new trumpet parts from the existing music. While this part does not contribute any new harmonies, it proceeds in parallel triads and contributes

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j 4 Œ œ nœ œœ œ œ b œ & 4 œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœœ œœ ‰ Œ Ó mp mf

3.43 Jesous Ahatonia (orchestral version – trumpets only), bars 5–6

pizz.

? b 44 Œ œJ ‰ Œ j ‰ œ

∑

Œ nœj ‰ Œ bœj ‰ œj ‰ Œ Ó

3.44 Jesous Ahatonia (orchestral version – double basses only), bars 27–30

an additional contrapuntal layer that provides motion through longer note values in strings, woodwinds, and trombones. Later in the piece, at bars 27 and 29, Calvert added a pizzicato double bass part that is singularly appropriate in the orchestral context. These pitches reinforce the bass line, but since they appear on the weak beats of the bar, they also enliven the rhythm. The scoring of the three-voice passage at bar 47 again shows Calvert’s sensitivity to instrumental colour as well as his knowledge of the relative strengths of the woodwind instruments. The “descant” is scored for flute, the melody for oboe, and the accompanying line for clarinet, which ensures that the oboe timbre will easily project the melody. Calvert wrote very little orchestral music, primarily because he rarely had an orchestra at his disposal. His arrangement of “Jesous Ahatonhia” illustrates that he understood the principles of orchestral writing, and had the opportunity arisen, he could have contributed effectively to the Canadian orchestral repertoire.140 Calvert transcribed his orchestral version of Jesous Ahatonhia for concert band for the Lakeshore Concert Band. The earliest (and only) recorded performance prior to 2011 was at a concert by that band on 9 December 1971, which included other Christmas music as well.141 Calvert may have performed it with the Barrie Central Band, but this arrangement was unknown to concert band conductors for four decades. The manuscript sources consist of a set of parts discovered among Calvert’s papers in 2010. No autograph score has been found, and the composer likely never made one. He was known to conduct from memory, and he certainly would not have needed a score to conduct this work. Score and parts were published by Eighth Note Publications in 2011 under the title ’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime. The new edition was

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer 3.45A Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble and brass band versions – horns), bars 2–3 3.45B Jesous Ahatonia (orchestral and concert band versions – clarinets), bars 2–3

143

4 & b 4 œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ ™™ œœ p

j ‰ œœ

4 & b 4 œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ ™™ œœ p

j ‰ œœ

welcomed by conductors who had long admired the well-known brass band version and often lamented that Calvert had (apparently) never transcribed it for concert band. It has been recorded142 and continues to be regularly performed, especially in Canada. The manuscript parts are not dated, but this arrangement must have been completed sometime after the orchestral version since the concert band score includes the two new elements included in that edition. The new trumpet part from bars 5–6 is repeated exactly, and the double bass pizzicatos from bars 27 and 29 are assigned to tubas. Other similarities also are apparent. A two-part figure that appears in horns in the second bar of both brass versions was transferred to clarinets in the orchestral and concert band arrangements. A statement of the first motive of the refrain that arrives at bar 9 is assigned to solo bassoon in the orchestral and concert band versions, and to euphonium/baritone in the brass scorings. The orchestral scoring may also have influenced the substantial use of solo textures, and the three-voice passage at bar 47 (scored for flute and clarinet with alto saxophone on the melody) in the concert band version. Except for the brass band setting, Calvert’s arrangements of “Jesous Ahatonhia” have been unknown for many years. With the recent publication of several of them, the other versions are making their way into the repertoires of the various ensembles for which they were written. Why Calvert was so fascinated with this carol remains a mystery. Dozens of arrangements titled The Huron Carol, ’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, or Huron Indian Carol exist, employing virtually every conceivable combination of instruments, voices, or voices and instruments. John Rutter’s a cappella setting has points in common with

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Calvert’s choral version. The melody is presented either in unison or as solos, the refrain is mostly harmonized, the accompaniment is often sung to syllables instead of words, and an affecting descant occurs during the second verse. Although both settings feature open fifths, the stark harmony of Calvert’s choral version does not match the richness of Rutter’s, which, curiously, ends on a major triad that sounds incongruous in the modal context. Another remarkable setting is Robert B. Anderson’s ethereal rendering for five-voice a cappella choir, published in 1983 by Gordon V. Thompson, Toronto, and still commercially available. It was recorded by the Elora Singers, Noel Edison conducting, in 1997.143 Anderson surrounded the melody with contrapuntal strands, many of which are derived from the tune and include a unique motive associated with the word “Gloria.” Much of the accompaniment is sung to syllables, but words also appear to emphasize important phrases of text. The harmony is purely modal with a few chords repeated over and over while the texture varies from verse to verse. Strikingly evocative, this version bears little similarity to any of Calvert’s settings, other than its meditative character. A number of instrumental versions also exist. Most are intended for young performers and do not approach the harmonic complexity and contrapuntal intricacy of Calvert’s brass ensemble, band, or orchestral settings. More interesting are compositions such as Robert Buckley’s Fantasy on the Huron Carol for concert band, which uses the tune as the source of a lively set of variations that stretch far from the simplicity of the carol and are in acute contrast to Calvert’s contemplative approach. Another important band work by Calvert from this period is his impressive concert march Thameside, which was written in London, UK, in the autumn of 1969 and dedicated to the Lakeshore Concert Band. This march illustrates Calvert’s new interest in writing for concert band after the formation of that band. Unfortunately, it remained essentially “lost” among the composer’s manuscripts for nearly forty years until it was finally published in 2007. Thameside shows the influence of the concert marches of Eric Osterling (Thundercrest, for example), which were very popular with band directors in the 1960s and which Calvert had performed with his high school bands. The 6/8 meter and light, theatre-music character of Calvert’s work are reminiscent of Osterling, but the harmonic

Bandmaster, Music Camp Instructor, Teacher, Composer

6 & b 8 œœJ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ marcato

3.46 Thameside, bars 1–2

f

145

œ œ™ œ œ

usage is substantially more complex than in any of the older composer’s marches, with extensive use of seventh, ninth, eleventh, and other added-note sonorities as well as the usual chromaticism that generates frequent sharp dissonances. Structurally, it consists of a short introduction and coda based on the same material, two repeated strains, a brief break strain, trio, and a final strain that uses the trio theme combined with motives drawn from the first two strains. The introduction presents a distinctive fanfare – so distinctive that one wonders if it mimics something he heard when walking along the Thames. The fanfare and a rising chromatic line, also from the introduction, recur regularly throughout the piece as unifying devices. In the first two strains, Calvert maintained interest and variety by altering the scoring and adding new lines of counterpoint on the repeats. High voice/low voice canons are also a feature of this music. A clever transition between the second strain and the trio is accomplished when the break strain borrows a motive from the melody of the upcoming trio, a linking technique already observed in other works by Calvert. The trio theme is first presented by unison clarinets in their rich chalumeau register with mostly only a bass line and a chordal accompaniment in the horns. In context, this scoring also recalls Osterling, but the trios of marches often feature low register clarinet melodies. 3.47

b6 &b 8

Thameside, bars 49–64

œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj ˙™ œ™

mf

b &b j ‰ ‰ œ œ™ b &b j ‰ ‰ œ œ™

œ™ œ

j œ œ

‰ j‰ ‰ œnœ œ œ™ ™ œ™ œ ˙ œ œ™

œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ b œj j œ œ

‰ œ™

˙™

˙™

j ‰ ‰ Œ™ œ

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Calvert inserted a short interlude, based on the fanfare and other motives from the introduction, between the trio and the final strain. While probably intended to separate these two long sections based on the same theme, the interlude also adds a fine touch of musical integration and prepares listeners for the coda, which recalls the introduction. When Calvert wrote his first march for concert band, he apparently modelled it on other successful concert marches that he knew and liked. Although he did not simply imitate these marches, his melodic material, scoring, and, to some extent, counterpoint clearly evoke Osterling, but enhanced with Calvert’s own harmonic vocabulary. Thameside is immediately appealing, spirited music that provides interesting challenges to the performers and an engaging experience for listeners. Since Calvert knew the performers and audience for whom he was writing, he produced a work that would appeal to them, but in the process created a march that fits admirably into any number of concert band programs. It has recently been recorded144 and is receiving performances across Canada and beyond. Calvert was (and is) not known as a choral composer. Ultimately, he produced a substantial catalogue of works for choir, but most of them date from later in his career, primarily from the late 1970s and 1980s, when he began working in churches other than the Salvation Army. However, he composed choral music throughout his career, beginning with the male quartet Joy, Freedom, Peace, one of his earliest works, and continuing through the 1950s with Canada for God, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, and a setting of the hymn Draw Me Nearer, which was performed in late 1959 at the culminating celebration of the yearlong commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Montreal Citadel.145 He continued contributing to the genre through the 1960s. The male chorus of the New York Staff Band performed his At the Cross there’s room in Toronto’s Massey Hall in 1965.146 They performed it again in Athens, Pennsylvania, in April 1969.147 An arrangement of the folk song “Aura Lee” for men’s voices also dates from 1965 and may have been written for the same choir. In a resumé compiled in 1985, Calvert claimed to have been the orchestrator for the John Hallett Chorale for their weekly performances at the New York World’s Fair during the summers of 1965 and 1966, although he insisted that he never heard a note of the music performed.148 (These dates appear to have been an error: the New York World’s Fair took place in 1964 and 1965.)

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In the summer of 1968, Calvert attended a workshop in Esztergom, Hungary, dealing with the Kodály method of teaching music to young people. The family decided to do something special. They flew to London, rented a car, and drove across Europe to Hungary. Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor remembers this trip very fondly. Calvert planned their route carefully so that they could go to historical locations, view important buildings, and visit significant museums. He had researched everything thoroughly so that he could explain its significance to the family. In Esztergom, they became friends with others in the workshop and with some of the local people. They also witnessed history in the making. Since Esztergom is at the Danube Bend, they could see across the river into the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia and watched Russian troops and tanks on the move as the Soviets crushed the Prague Spring and reasserted control over the country. Another couple attending the workshop were from Czechoslovakia and were very worried about their family because the Soviets had restricted communications in and out of the country. Grace Calvert described one rather frightening encounter they had with Russian soldiers stationed at Esztergom. Their children had become friends with some local children, and the two families visited together regularly. The Hungarians were very generous but would accept nothing in return. As a way of repaying their generosity, the Calverts organized a picnic for the children and invited the parents along. By accident, they did not have their Canadian passports with them, and when the soldiers arrived and challenged them, they could not prove who they were. They showed the soldiers the information on their rented car and some of the Hungarian children could speak Russian, so eventually the soldiers moved on, but not before a very intimidating exchange. The Calverts also contacted a family of former Salvationists. When they were in London, Calvert had visited the national headquarters of the Salvation Army to ask if there were Salvationists in and around Esztergom. He was told that the Soviets had suppressed all Salvation Army activity but was given the name of one family believed still to be living in the area. In Esztergom, the Calverts began attending a small Methodist church. The pastor knew this family and arranged for a meeting at the church. The Hungarians were cautious – the husband had been a brigadier in the Salvation Army, had been in charge of the work in that region, and had spent some time in prison – but they did

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agree to meet. According to Grace, “as soon as I saw them, I knew they were Army. They had that look about them. Also, in the Army we have a women’s group called the ‘Home League.’ The symbol is a house on a Bible. She was wearing a pin that had that symbol.” The two families became friends. The Hungarians invited the Calverts to their home where, after some time, they displayed their hidden Army materials and regalia.149 When the Calverts were leaving Esztergom, the husband asked Calvert to “tell the general that the brigadier is still here.” Calvert found this very touching and repeated the story often over the next few years.150 Calvert had little time to apply the Kodály training from the Esztergom workshop in his teaching. As noted earlier, the family spent the 1969–70 academic year on sabbatical in London, UK. In addition to his studies at the University of London, Calvert played first cornet with the International Staff Band. The group played two of his compositions, Canadian Folk Song Suite and Two Canadian Christmas Carols, in a performance at the International (William Booth Memorial) Training College, London, on 25 November 1969,151 and apparently broadcast a complete concert of his music on the BBC in the spring of 1970,152 undoubtedly a high point of his time in London. The year in London was an exciting time for the family but also when, as Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor puts it, “things went awry.” The marriage had had some difficulties in the past that had been resolved, but in the late spring of 1970, Calvert abruptly left his family. For a time, the family did not know where he was, then he returned to Canada. Grace and the children remained in London until the end of the school year. By the time they returned to Montreal, Calvert had been stripped of all responsibilities at the Montreal Citadel and had withdrawn from the Salvation Army, which must have been difficult considering that the Army had been central to his whole life. Calvert’s break from his family was neither clean nor well thoughtout. According to the family, he would leave, then return, and leave again. Lianne and Eric were students at Lindsay Place High School and found it very difficult to see him at school but not anywhere else. This unresolved situation went on for many months, with Calvert’s indecision creating a great deal of anguish for everyone. He was obviously very conflicted, but other aspects of his life were pulling him in a new direction that made resolution more difficult. Fortunately for the family, a new Salvation Army temple had opened near their home in

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Montreal West so they could avoid the scrutiny and painful memories associated with the downtown Citadel. Their new church gathered around them and provided the support they needed to deal with this very challenging situation.153 Olga Stathatos had been a clarinetist in the Westmount High School Senior Band. She and her sister Angela, also a clarinetist, were accomplished players who had been selected to play in the prestigious Sarah Fischer Concerts series154 in Montreal in October 1961, with Calvert as their accompanist.155 They also attended Camp-of-the-Woods during the summer of 1961 and played in the band under Calvert’s direction. Calvert left Westmount High School when Olga was in Grade 10, and for a considerable time, they had no contact. Olga started a bachelor of music degree at McGill University but then changed direction and went to Macdonald College for a teaching degree. She married and had two children, but her marriage was essentially over by the early 1970s. She and Calvert met again when Olga joined the Lakeshore Concert Band in 1971, and they began a romance. Olga began taking clarinet lessons again, and Calvert taught her music theory and counterpoint. He was obviously excited about their new relationship. In March 1972, airlines were offering discount tickets, and on a whim, Olga, Calvert, and two friends from the Lakeshore Concert Band spent a week in Russia visiting Moscow and Leningrad.156 However, none of this resolved the fraught situation with Calvert’s family. And then, Barrie Central Collegiate came calling.

4 The Barrie Band: 1972 – 1985 Instrumental music at Barrie Central Collegiate in Barrie, Ontario, began in 1939 when a school orchestra was organized under the direction of W. Allen Fisher (1905–1989), an English and history teacher at the school and a fine musician. Although only seven students turned out for the first practice, the group grew quickly to forty players and gave concerts of full-length symphonies in 1939 and 1940. With the advent of the Second World War, a band was established as well and by 1941 had largely supplanted the orchestra, although some string orchestra playing persisted until 1944. Fisher built the band into one of Canada’s outstanding high school bands. He also put in place an effectual community support network consisting of two parental organizations that ensured a continuous stream of capable young musicians. The Band Parents Association helped raise money for the band’s activities, including purchasing quality equipment, providing private lessons for some students, and assisting with the planning and execution of tours and other engagements. They also managed the Barrie Collegiate Band Association Series, a season of four concerts each year that brought to the town many leading musicians and ensembles from Canada and beyond, including saxophonist Paul Brodie, clarinetist Richard Hornsby, the woodwind quintet York Winds, the Canadian Brass, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and, on at least two occasions, the University of Michigan Symphony Band. The Band Mothers’ Association raised money through rummage sales and bake sales, etc., looked after the band’s red and black uniforms, and managed the activities related to visiting ensembles. During the late 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, the Barrie Central Collegiate Band toured widely in Canada, the United States, and abroad, winning first place in hundreds of competitive music festivals and garnering

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invitations to prestigious events, such as music educators’ conventions in Toronto and Montreal, the 1948 Music Educators National Conference in Detroit, and the 1952 Music Educators’ of America convention at the Sherman Hotel in Chicago. In Chicago, the band was selected to accompany the solos of world-renowned trumpet virtuoso Rafael Méndez. Méndez was so impressed with the group that he changed his schedule so that he could travel to Barrie and participate in their Barrie Centennial concert on 9 August 1953.1 The band returned to Chicago to participate in the Midwest National Band Conference in 1955 and 1967, and, in 1962, represented Canada at the Seattle World’s Fair. In preparation for their appearance in Seattle, the band and the parents’ associations commissioned Toronto composer Harry Freedman for a work on a Canadian theme. Freedman’s composition, Laurentian Moods, was based on Quebec folk songs and remains unpublished.2 A particularly remarkable accomplishment was winning gold medals at the International Band Festival at Kerkrade, Holland, in 1958 and 1970.3 The walls of the band room at the school are literally plastered with framed first-place certificates. Fisher received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University in 1973 and was made a member of the Order of Canada in the same year – remarkable honours to be bestowed on a high school band conductor.4 Fisher retired at the end of the 1971–72 academic year. He was very concerned that the tradition of high-quality performance be continued at Barrie Central and searched widely for a successor. Fisher knew Calvert and was cognizant of Calvert’s success with high school ensembles in Montreal. The Barrie Central Band and the Lakeshore Concert Band had competed against each other at CNe band festivals. Fisher decided, and informed the school board, that Calvert was the person to replace him. He contacted Calvert in Montreal, told him he was retiring, and asked Calvert to assume his position. Calvert was well acquainted with Fisher’s accomplishments in Barrie. He first heard the Barrie Central Collegiate Band at an International Festival of School Music at the Montreal Forum in 1947. The band impressed everyone with its musicianship, warmth of sound, and prodigious technique,5 and must have been an inspiration to Calvert who was then a student at McGill University preparing for a career in school music. He attended the Music Educators’ of America convention in Chicago6 in 1952 and heard them expertly accompany Rafael Méndez, and in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he regularly encountered them at

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the CNe band festivals in Toronto. Ultimately, Calvert was offered the job and accepted. However, bringing him to Ontario was not entirely straightforward and had to be handled discreetly. The Barrie school board was legally obligated to advertise the position and did so, even though the appointment had already been made.7 On the surface, it seems surprising that Calvert, who was so well established in Montreal, would suddenly depart for Barrie, Ontario, but extenuating circumstances were driving his decision. First, directing the band at Barrie Central Collegiate was no ordinary high school position. The band’s unusually high performance standard, its strong community endorsement, and its support system built for long-term success were attractive attributes. He was undoubtedly flattered that Fisher had specifically selected him to continue the program’s stellar reputation. Second, his personal life was still confused. Even the offer from Barrie did not settle the issues with his family. Initially, the whole family intended to move to Barrie, and a tentative plan was discussed for Grace and Calvert to go there to look at houses. However, his relationship with Olga was also evolving. Then, unexpectedly to his family, he made the decision to initiate divorce proceedings. Upon completion of the divorce, his family had little contact with him for more than a dozen years.8 Calvert began teaching at Barrie Central in September 1972. At first, Olga did not move with him, and Calvert drove between Barrie and Montreal on weekends for a considerable time. Olga finally moved to Barrie in 1976. They were married in 1978; their daughter, Christine, was born in January 1979.9 In Barrie, Calvert was in a rather familiar position. The band was an object of considerable civic pride, and Calvert’s ability to sustain its performance traditions was under close scrutiny, as had been the situation when he assumed the directorship of the Montreal Citadel Band in 1960. His first public concert, on 31 January 1973, was before a full house and the local press. Writing in the Examiner (Barrie, Ontario), W.K. Walls had high praise for Calvert and the band: “Barrie Collegiate Band presented a delightful, sophisticated concert at Central auditorium last night … New conductor Morley Calvert’s choice of numbers was intelligently conceived with a keen insight into the resources of these remarkable 16-year-old musicians of Barrie … Since the start of school last September, Mr Calvert, from Montreal, has faced an awesome task of putting together a musical organization which had

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many vacancies from last year’s graduation from Central Collegiate. The present group has more than measured up by practice, study and disciplined leadership. Mr Calvert has gained the respect of his musicians, it was evident last night as they followed his baton closely to the score [sic] … Their intonation was a delight to musical ears.”10 In choosing his program for this significant event, Calvert was both adventurous and strategic. He performed Jubilance by Caesar Giovannini as a practice run for the upcoming Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival where it was the test piece for the band’s class but also included Variations on America by Charles Ives/William Schuman/William E. Rhoads,11 a considerable challenge for high school musicians. On the other hand, he also programmed pieces that he had previously performed in other contexts: Symphonic Marches by Richard Rogers (arranged by Robert Farnon) and his own Suite on Canadian Folk Songs. In the 1973 Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, the junior and senior bands from Barrie Central both came first in their respective classes, and the senior band placed second in the Challenge Class.12 By the 1974 Toronto Kiwanis Festival, Calvert was fully in charge of the program, and bands and ensembles from Barrie Central claimed eight first places, including winning the sought-after Challenge and Canadian Composer Classes. In the Challenge Class, the band was awarded 96 of a possible 100 points, a grade the adjudicator, Dr Robert Rosevear of the University of Toronto, said was the highest he had ever given to a secondary school band.13 For the first time, Barrie Central was awarded the Major Brian S. McCool Trophy, presented to the school that amassed the greatest number of points in the band, choir, and orchestra classes – no small feat considering that Toronto schools such as North Toronto Collegiate Institute and Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute entered bands, choirs, and orchestras, whereas Barrie Central entered only bands. They repeated this feat in 1975, 1976, and 1978.14 In 1975, the band secured four first-place certificates in a single day, sweeping the March Class-A with John Philip Sousa’s Riders for the Flag, the Challenge Class with the Finale of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 (arr. Safranek), the Canadian Composers Class with Robert Fleming’s Three Scenarios, and the Group 1-Class A with Norman Dello Joio’s Scenes from The Louvre. Calvert declared himself “pleasantly surprised” by the band’s performance, especially since “it’s getting tougher every year with quite a few more bands entering the competition.”15 Later that spring, they also competed and placed first

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in the Stratford Kiwanis Music Festival. At the 1976 festival in Toronto, adjudicator Charles Minelli of Ohio University, Athens, was effusive in his praise for the senior band: “This is a great band. I have never heard a finer high school band anywhere in Canada.” Minelli was also much impressed with Calvert’s composition Romantic Variations, which was the test piece in the Canadian Composer Class, calling it “one of the finest compositions for concert band I have heard in the last 25 years.”16 Calvert also took the band to Europe in the summer of 1974 to compete again at Kerkrade.17 The trip almost did not occur. A grant application to the Secretary of State was turned down, largely because of a technicality. Between the time that the band submitted its application and the adjudication of submissions, the rules changed to require that applicants remain in one place for three weeks. They had planned to stay in Holland for only two weeks. Without the grant, Calvert doubted that the trip was possible,18 but the community, as it often did, rallied behind the band, which allowed it to go to Kerkrade and win another gold award. The band returned to Kerkrade three more times under Calvert’s direction, winning gold awards in 1978 and 1981 and a silver award in 1985. Additionally, the Barrie Central Band was one of only two ensembles invited to represent Canada at the First International Festival of Youth Brass and Symphonic Bands held in Cardiff, Wales, 11–24 August 1975. This trip required a special effort from everyone involved since it came just one year after the trip to Holland.19 At this festival, they again played the transcription of the Finale from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 and included an arrangement by Sammy Nestico of the Welsh folk song “All Through the Night” as a tribute to their hosts,20 a typically thoughtful Calvert gesture. Calvert saw these trips as educational as well as musical. For example, after the Kerkrade Festival in 1978, among other places, the band visited Cologne to see the spectacular Gothic cathedral and Bonn to visit Beethoven’s birthplace, and took the historic boat cruise up the Rhine River to Mainz, with its famous Romanesque cathedral.21 In 1985, they journeyed to Amsterdam, toured the city, visited the Rijksmuseum to see Rembrandt’s Night Watch, and paid their respects at the Canadian War Cemetery at Groesbeek.22 Calvert valued providing students from a relatively small city in central Ontario with the opportunity to directly experience some of the great cultural and historical sites of Europe, places they had only heard of previously. He later claimed to have been very proud of the way Central students represented themselves, the

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school, Barrie, and Canada on these trips. In his twelve-and-a-half years at Barrie Central, Calvert’s bands and ensembles added eightysix first-place certificates to the already large collection lining the walls of the band room. At the time of his retirement, he reminisced about replacing Dr W.A. Fisher and the challenge of maintaining the band’s high performance standard. With remarkable understatement, he said: “I’m satisfied I’ve been successful.”23 As he had in Quebec, Calvert also participated in teachers’ organizations in Ontario. He was an active member of the Ontario chapter of the Canadian Band Directors’ Association, serving as president, 1981–83. At the same time, he was executive vice-president of the parent national association.24 He also served as music subject chairman for the Simcoe County Board of Education.25 In 1979, Calvert was elected to the American Bandmasters Association (aBa ). Founded in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman, membership is by invitation only and is offered to band conductors, teachers, and directors who are considered to have made exemplary contributions to the wind band profession. An invitation to join is considered the highest honour available to practitioners in the wind band field.26 For his inauguration into the aBa , Calvert travelled to their 1979 conference in Phoenix, Arizona;27 he is one of very few Canadian high school band directors to have been elected into this prestigious association.28 For his first few years in Barrie, Calvert was not as engaged with the community as he had been in Montreal, probably because he drove to Montreal on many weekends to be with Olga. After Olga moved to Barrie, he began, as he usually did, to look for other things to do.29 He took on positions as organist and choir director, first at Central United Church (the church where he and Olga were married) and then at St Andrews Presbyterian, where he remained until February 1987. These positions presented him with the challenge of learning another liturgy, different from what he had been accustomed to for most of his life, as well as an enhanced opportunity to compose choral music. Apparently, he relished both. In his letter of resignation from St Andrews in January 1987, he commented that his work at the church had been a learning experience and a time of growth musically and spiritually.30 Calvert served as conductor of the venerable community choir in Barrie, the King Edward Choir, for two separate terms. When the choir’s founding director, Jean Dobson, retired in June 1976, Calvert was appointed as her replacement.31 However, his first tenure was

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relatively short. By April 1978, Charles Woodrow of Orillia had been appointed permanent conductor.32 The reason for Calvert’s limited term is not apparent since he seems to have been doing a fine job as conductor. His last concert, in December 1977, was positively reviewed in the Barrie Banner. The program included his choral arrangement of “Jesous Ahatonhia” (The Huron Carol), about which the reviewer, Sharon Brown, wrote: “It was a pleasure to hear Calvert’s arrangement of The Huron Carol. It is such a beautiful song which managed to combine the Christmas message with the [sic] melancholy and haunting Indian flavour.”33 Perhaps Calvert’s appointment was always intended to be interim, or he may have given up this position for health reasons. In January 1979, he had back surgery and was off work recuperating for several months.34 Perhaps he felt he needed to curtail his activities in preparation for the surgery, or the choir was uncomfortable having a replacement conductor during the heart of their 1979 performance season. At any rate, Calvert was reappointed conductor of the choir in the fall of 198435 and resigned the position in May 1987 only because he had left Barrie and was living in Guelph.36 Concert programs from his second tenure as principal conductor show that this was a very capable choir. Under Calvert’s direction, among many other choral standards, they performed Franz Joseph Haydn’s The Creation (with orchestra) on 28 April 1985; Antonín Dvořák’s Songs of Nature, op. 63 and Felix Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise on 21 May 1986; and Richard E. Holz’s Sleep, Holy Babe on 26 November 1986. In his review of the latter concert, Paul Stein of the Examiner wrote: “Sleep, Holy Babe by R. Holz served as a showcase for the choir’s considerable prowess in a cappella singing, always a pièce de résistance for a good choir.”37 Calvert’s final concert with the choir, on 10 May 1987, was also positively reviewed: “The choir was in its normal fine form, with only a very few inaccuracies in intonation. Director Morley Calvert exerted firm control with attention to even the most minute tonal shadings.”38 Since this was his final appearance in Barrie, a number of his former students from Barrie Central Collegiate attended the concert and came up afterward to express their appreciation and say goodbye.39 Although Calvert was not a practising Salvationist after 1970, he was never completely estranged from the Salvation Army. In June 1974, and again in May 1978, he was chairman and guest conductor at music festivals at Mississauga (Ontario) Temple and North Toronto Citadel, respectively.40 In April 1975, the Earlscourt Band from Toronto under the

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direction of Calvert’s friend, Brian Ring, performed in Barrie as part of the Central Collegiate Band Concert Series, undoubtedly because of Calvert’s connection to this fine corps band.41 He was a guest of honour at the annual Audoire Memorial Concert at the Montreal Citadel on 24 October 1980.42 His setting of the hymn St Agnus, completed in 1969, was published in the Salvation Army General Series in April 1985, and as late as 1980, he submitted the brass band version of Three Scottish Songs to Rosehill Music (affiliated with the Salvation Army), although it was not accepted.43 Rosehill Music did publish his Two Canadian Christmas Carols in 1983. Although it appears that during the 1970s rather little of his music was performed at prominent Army events, it had begun resurfacing by the 1980s. Among other instances, two of his works, Reckon on Me and Irish, were performed at a Salvation Army festival in Ottawa in the spring of 1984.44 At the time of his death in early September 1991, Calvert had been commissioned by the Salvation Army Eastern Territory in the United States to write a sextet that was to be published and performed widely.45 No trace of this work seems to exist despite the fact that it was to be delivered to the Eastern Territory in September 1991. Although he was no longer a practising member of their church, Salvationists apparently continued to admire his compositions and respect his input into Salvation Army events. Calvert also received a direct commission, in 1982, from the London (Ontario) Citadel Band. In response, he composed Overture to a Joyous Occasion commemorating “the one-hundredth anniversary of Salvation Army banding in Canada.” This work also served to mark the centennial of the founding of the Salvation Army in Canada, which occurred in London, Ontario, in 1882.46 Calvert was undoubtedly honoured to receive this commission considering his long commitment to the Salvation Army and, in particular, to its bands. The London Citadel Band apparently was pleased with the composition since they played it on several significant occasions beyond the 1982 observances, including at the visit of the territorial commander to the London Citadel Corps in April 1985 and at a Hamilton Place, Ontario, concert with the Meadowlands Citadel Band (Hamilton) on 24 May 2008, celebrating 125 years of Salvation Army banding in Canada. The reviewer of the Hamilton concert commented that the work displayed “that masterly structure in the music that we have come to expect from Calvert.”47 It was finally published (posthumously) by the Salvation Army in Canada in their Maple Leaf Brass Series in 2002.

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When he composed Overture to a Joyous Occasion, Calvert had not written for the Salvation Army for some time. The work displays similarities to his earlier compositions, but substantive differences appear as well. For his new overture, Calvert selected five familiar melodies from the current Salvation Army Tune Book (tB ) and Tune Book for Congregational Singing (tBCS ), all of which have celebratory texts. Two of the tunes have clear associations with the commemorative aspect of the commission. Old Hundredth was likely chosen to symbolize the centennial of the Canadian Salvation Army, and Lift Up the Banner probably reflected the Army’s foundation in London, Ontario. Calvert’s work opens with Old Hundredth (tB 38), a hymn tune that has wide usage in many denominations. However, Calvert created a fresh approach by altering the melody from its usual 4/4 meter to 3/4. He extended the cadence of each phrase by sustaining the final chord by several measures to allow the low instruments to introduce the first phrase of Monkland (tB 286), which is the fifth tune to appear in full, toward the end of the composition. By doing so, he made this segment of Monkland a major unifying element, appearing, sometimes surprisingly, throughout the piece. The text to which the first phrase of this hymn is sung, “Let us with a gladsome mind,” would be familiar to Salvationists. Calvert probably chose this musical fragment as a primary unifying component to ensure that the joyful occasion that his work was commemorating would always be present in the performer’s and listener’s mind. The four phrases of Old Hundredth are presented separately, divided by sustained cadences, the distinctive opening phrase of Monkland, and caesuras. With each phrase, the harmony becomes more complex, incorporating quintal and quartal chords and culminating on a wholetone cluster, a sonority that began to appear more frequently in Calvert’s music around this time.48 4.1 Overture to a Joyous Occasion, bars 1–6

b 3 & b bb 4 œ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ sostenuto

ff

? bb b 43 Πb

∑

∑

∑

˙™

œ‰ Œ Œ J ^ nœnœ œ marcato œ œ œ n œ œ J‰Œ Œ nœnœ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ ff

˙™

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The second hymn tune, Ring the Bell, Watchman (tB 776), enters suddenly in a new key (C major). It cannot be coincidental that the second and sixth bars of this melody duplicate the beginning of Old Hundredth. The verse is rendered simply by four solo instruments playing very softly and in much simplified, diatonic harmony, an unusual setting for this robust hymn. The four accompanying lines sometimes parallel the melody and borrow motives from it. However, at the chorus of this tune, the music becomes abruptly very loud, and rhythmically and harmonically intricate. The rhythm of the tune is altered, and the melody essentially disappears against an accompaniment consisting of powerful, syncopated, descending chromatic lines in parallel fifths. An unusual notation (in Calvert’s music) asking the players to gently “swing” the first two bars further disguises the melody. After this outburst, the second phrase of the tune (bars 5–8) is repeated quietly. Calvert then begins a transition to the third tune, All Through the Years, by developing the descending scale from the end of Ring the Bell, Watchman combined with simultaneous rising scales. As has been seen earlier in Calvert’s works, this transition looks both backward and forward by anticipating the new melody through introducing its first motive, but it also recalls parts of Old Hundredth and Monkland, generating a dense texture that more or less sums up the piece to this point. The presentation of All Through the Years (tBCS 147) is the shortest section of the overture – one statement of the tune – with a quiet pulsating accompaniment. There follows another remarkable moment in this score. Through the use of a pyramid, Calvert builds up a towering chord in fourths. While not specifically related to the thematic material, this segment does not sound out of place because of the prevalence of quartal harmonies earlier in the piece. In contrast to All Through the Years, the treatment of the fourth tune, Lift Up the Banner (tb 106 ), is the longest section of the work. The melody is imparted by solo cornet over an energetic vamp in horns, baritones, euphonium, and E-flat tuba that appears to have its origin in Latin American or theatre music. Syncopation and accents render this accompaniment akin to that of the fifth variation in the third movement of Canadian Folk Song Suite or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs. Brief interjections from the full band recall the pyramid that preceded this section. As done earlier, Calvert set the chorus of this tune in a more complex texture. The melody, mostly in solo cornet and first trombone, is accompanied by parallel descending scales as well as

bb4 œ œ œ œ œ & b b 4 œj œ™ œJ œ™ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ mf b b 4160j A Life Musicœ œ œ œ™ b œ™ in œ œ œ œ œ bbb 4 & & b b 4 mf‰œ œ ™ œ œ Jœ ‰ Jj œ ™ œœ œ œœ ‰œ œj œœ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœœ œ ≈ œr . . . . . . > . bbbb 4 j mf . œ. œ™ -œ œœ. b œ™ œ œ œ œ œ 4 > b & œ œ r j œ . œ. b œj œ œ . . . . & ? bbbb 44 mf‰‰œ œœ ™™ œœ œœ œJœ ‰‰bbœœ bJœœj œœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ ‰‰œbbœœ œœ œœ b∫∫œœœ. bœœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ œœ nœœœ œœœ œœœ. bnœœœ. œœœ ≈≈ œœœ. r b b 4 mfœ™ œ œ. œ. b-œ bœ. œ™ œ œ. œ. >J bœ ™ œnœ. œ œn œ œ œb œ œ œ . . . r b > 4 b j j . . . . b œ œœ . . & ? bbbb 44 ‰‰ mfœœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ ‰‰bbœœ bœœj œœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ ‰‰bbœœ œœ œœ b∫∫œœœ. bœœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ œœ nœœœ œœœ œœœ. bnœœœ. œœœ ≈≈ œœœ. r b b 4 mfœ™ œ œ. œ. bœ- bœ. œ™ œ œ. œ. >J bœ ™ œnœ. œ œn œ œ œb œ œ œ . > j œ ™ œ œ. œ. bbœœ œœ œœ ∫œ. bœ ™ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œr . œ. ™ mf œ œ œ b œ ? b b 4 ‰ œ ™ œ œ œ ‰bbœœ œ œ ™ œ œ œ ‰b œ œ œ b∫œœ œ ™ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ bœ œ ≈ œ bb 4 œ™ œ œ œ bœ bœ. œ™ œ œ œ J bœ ™ œnœ œ œn œ œ œb œ œ œ b b œ™ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ. & b b ˙ mf œ œ™ J J bbbbb ˙ ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ & œ Jj ™ & b bb bœj ‰ Œ Œ œœ œ ™ œ œ Jœ ‰ ™ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ . . . . > - œ. œ bbbbbbb ˙œjj™ ‰ Œ Œ > œ™ . œ j . œœJ. œ™ & ™ ‰ œ œ œ b œ & ? bb b bœ ‰ Œ Œ œœ œœ ™™ œ œ œ ‰ bbœœ bœJœj œœœ ™™™ œ œœ nœœœ œœœ nnœœœ ™™™ œœœ bœœ œœ œœ œ œ œ. b œ. > œ™ œ œ. œ. b-œ bœ. œ™ œn œ.. œ.. . j . b j . . ? & bbbbbb bœœj ‰‰ ŒŒ ŒŒ >œœœ œœœ ™™™ œœ œœ œœ ‰‰ bbœœ bœœj œœœ ™™™ œœ nœœœ œœœ nnœœœ ™™™ œœœ bœœ œœ œœ b œ. œ œ œ. > œ™ œ œ. œ. b-œ bœ. œ™ œn œ.. œ.. .j . j . . ? bb b œ ‰ Œ Œ >œœ œœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ ‰ bbœœ bœœ œœ ™™ œœ nœœ œœ nnœœœ ™™™ œœœ bœœ œœ œœ œ œ™ œ œ œ bœ bœ. œ™ œn œ œ b œœœ . . b b œ. b œ Œ ˙™ & b œ œ œ œ b Œ ˙™ & bbbbbbb œ œ œ œ œ & œ nœ nœ œ ‰ j ‰ j ‰ œj bœ œ bœ œj ‰ Œ œ nœ . bbbbbbb b œœ œ œ œœ ‰œ j œ‰ j ˙™ Œ . b œ œ & ∫ œ & bbb bœ nnœœ nœ œœ ‰ bœœj ‰ nnœœj ‰‰ œœœj bbbœœ œœ b bœ œœœj ‰‰ ŒŒ ? œ ∫œ. bb nœ bœ J bbb b œœ nœœ œ œ ‰ bœj ‰ nœj ‰ œj bbœœ œœ ∫œ. Jœj ‰ Œ b ? & bb b bœ nœ nœœ œ ‰ œj ‰ n œj ‰ œ bbœ œ b∫bœœ œ ‰ Œ œJ b 4.2 Overture toœa JoyousbœOccasionn œ– Lift Up theœJ Banner, bars. 75–82 . b œœ œ œ œ j j ? bb b bœ nœœ œœ œ ‰ bœœ ‰ nnœœ ‰ œœ bbbœœœ œœœ b∫∫œœœ œœ ‰ Œ b fragments andœdevelopments bœ ofnœ the vamp. œ JNot surprisingly,œJ the opening motive of Monkland appears in the middle voices, preparing for the upcoming arrival of that tune. The transition into Monkland consists of a single sustained pitch (E-flat). This concluding section is short. The melody, initially in the horns and flugelhorn, later in solo cornet, has a simple accompaniment that incorporates references to the last phrase of Old Hundredth, especially appropriate since these two hymns have been associated from the opening bars. A four-bar cadential extension consisting of the opening phrase of Monkland in imitation and accompanied by a short fanfare figure completes the piece.

The Barrie Band

b 4 melody & b bb 4 œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ ˙

œ œ

? b b 44 ˙ bb

œ

œ

motives from "Old Hundredth"

bb &b b œ œ œ œ œ

? bb b b

∑

œ œ ˙ Ó

Œ

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œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ

∑ ˙ ˙

161

œ œ ˙ ∑

˙ ˙

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4.3 Overture to a Joyous Occasion – Monkland, bars 96–104

In Overture to a Joyous Occasion, Calvert returned to the Salvation Army hymn tunes he knew so well; however, his compositional interests had progressed since the late 1960s. He incorporated quintal and quartal harmonies and sudden extreme dynamic changes to a much greater degree than previously, and he included hints of popular music. On the other hand, he employed unifying techniques that he had been using for a considerable time when building compositions on multiple themes. In this case, the primary integrating element is the initial motive of Monkland with its joyful words, which is introduced in the fourth bar and also concludes the composition, but fragments of the other tunes are echoed through the various sections of the score. Like other works by Calvert, the scoring and textures are varied and effective. To match the festive occasion for which the commission was issued, Calvert selected tunes with celebratory texts that the players would know and produced a work admirably suited to its purpose. Except for the grand opening based on Old Hundredth, only quick tempos appear, giving the work a jubilant character singularly appropriate for such a commemorative occasion. Apparently, this exultant temperament, combined with the effective balance of unity and contrast, endeared it to the London Citadel Band, who kept it in their repertoire for more than two decades. After he left Montreal, Calvert’s compositional focus changed considerably. Although he was not writing so specifically for the Salvation Army, he continued to compose for brass bands, while also expanding

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his creative initiatives to include concert band and choral music. For example, his Three Scottish Songs uses no Salvation Army melodies and exists in versions for both brass and concert bands. Neither version has been published,49 but the brass band setting is known to conductors and is performed occasionally. The brass band score is the earliest, composed in 1972; however, the set of autograph parts are dated 1978. Calvert apparently extracted the parts several years after the work’s composition, presumably for a performance. Calvert submitted this version to Rosehill Music in 1980, but the editor felt the commercial potential of the work did not justify its publication and returned the score.50 The autograph score and parts of the concert band setting are dated 1976. Calvert performed this version with the Barrie Central Band in May 1979, but other than that performance, the work has remained virtually unknown, probably because the score was lost for many years.51 According to the score, the “Concert Band arrangement [was] commissioned by the Black Watch Association of Montreal.”52 The three songs used, “Lewis Bridal Song,” “Uist Tramping Song,” and “Westering Home,” are not well known outside of Scotland. Nothing in the Calvert archive explains why he decided to write a work on Scottish melodies, why he picked these particular tunes, or how he found them. There is, however, a fragment of evidence that he had a long-standing interest in Scottish melodies. A notebook that probably dates from the 1950s contains an incomplete, twenty-five-bar sketch of an arrangement of the familiar song “Loch Lomond.” The intended performance medium is not specified, but since the last part of the sketch expands to a three-line score, it probably was intended as a brass band work – a long-range predecessor of Three Scottish Songs. All three songs he chose to use in Three Scottish Songs come from the Hebrides Islands,53 and all are travelling songs: the first two celebrate the joys of walking, the third the excitement of returning home after a long sea journey. Also, based on recordings by Scottish singers, they are usually sung at about the same tempo. Apparently, then, Calvert felt they worked together well. These tunes can be found in Hugh Roberton’s (1874–1952) Songs of the Isles published by Curwen, London, in 1950. This widely distributed collection likely was Calvert’s source. According to Roberton, “Lewis Bridal Song” is a traditional tune noted down by Dr Peter A. MacLeod (1878–1965), a piper and song collector. Roberton translated the original Gaelic into English for his publication.

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“Uist Tramping Song” is not an actual folk song. The tune was written by John R. Bannerman (1895–1938) to Gaelic words by the respected Uist poet Archibald MacDonald (1853–?) and also translated into English by Roberton. The melody of the verse to “Westering Home” was written by Roberton, but the chorus is much older and was noted from the singing of Donald McIsaac, about whom little seems to be recorded. The tune is essentially identical to another Scottish song, “The Mucking O’ Geordie’s Byre,” and to an Irish tune, “Trasna na Tonnta,” and is also sometimes known as the Islay “National Anthem.”54 Three Scottish Songs emerged at a time in Calvert’s compositional career when he was moving his creative focus away from the Salvation Army’s huge collection of songs and choruses, and embracing other genres such as concert bands and choirs – although after the formation of the Lakeshore Concert Band in 1967, he had already begun to compose more extensively for concert band.55 Three Scottish Songs obviously does not relate to Salvation Army music, but it is a continuation of his interest in traditional tunes, which had been the basis of Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Canadian Folk Song Suite, and the settings of “Jesous Ahatonhia.” It also has features that are different from previous compositions, including considerably more use of homophonic textures and generally simpler harmony than in other pieces reviewed in this study. In fact, in the setting of the third tune, the harmony functions mostly tonally within the indicated key, B-flat major. Calvert left no indication of whom he had in mind when composing this work, but considering its rather straightforward content, one wonders if it was conceived for less-experienced ensembles. Or perhaps, since he no longer had the many accomplished brass bands of the Salvation Army at his disposal, he deliberately simplified this composition hoping that a more readily accessible work would attract community ensembles, many of which could not match the performance facility of those with which he was familiar. Although not as musically sophisticated as earlier works, Three Scottish Songs is an interesting composition. When sung, these three songs begin and end with the chorus or refrain. Calvert echoed this practice by structuring each of the songs in A–B–A–A form (chorus-versechorus-chorus), but each section of his composition includes only one statement of the verse, whereas all of these songs have multiple stanzas. Except for the first tune, the texture accumulates through each verse, generating substantial momentum. To reflect the fact that all

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4 &b 4 Ó

Œ œœœœœœœ œJ ‰ Œ f

4 &b 4

œœ œ™ œ œ œ œ f ? 44 œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œb f j  œ

? b 44 œ ‰ Œ J

Œ æœ æ

Œ œœœœœœ œj ‰ Œ Ó 6

7

œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ -œ œ‰ Œ J

Œ æœ æ

∑ ∑ œ‰Œ Ó J

4.4 Three Scottish Songs – Lewis Bridal Song, bars 3–4

these songs deal with travel, the style is largely march-like with dotted rhythms, fanfares, and an important role for percussion. The work begins with a two-bar introduction that is largely a unison fanfare. The initial chorus of “Lewis Bridal Song” is presented by cornets/trumpets and trombones with minimal accompaniment – chords separated by rests. Calvert added F major scalic sweeps in the high voices and snare drum rolls on the fourth beat of each measure to ensure that the music did not fall into one-bar phrases. At the appearance of the verse, the instrumentation was reduced to a few instruments and Calvert created a counterpoint to the melody based on motives from the chorus. He also added a fanfare, probably to contribute momentum since the percussion consists of only a triangle part. At the return of the chorus, the melody is entrusted to the high voices (tenor sax as well in the concert band scoring), and the accompaniment is amplified through a faster harmonic rhythm and a driving snare drum part reminiscent of the drum passages in pipe bands. The harmony is also more complex, culminating in a series of ninth chords. This statement comes to rest on a widely spaced, sustained French sixth chord (G-flat, B-flat, C, E) supported only by snare drum. This chord keeps the music moving forward, but the one wonders if the two tritones in this sonority might also be a sly reference to the drone in the playing of bagpipes, which is ostensibly a perfect fifth, but in practice is often closer to a tritone. Unlike the other comparable sections of this work, the second statement of the chorus is set for only a few

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instruments and is extended by two bars through a transition based on earlier music. The setting of the second song, “Uist Tramping Song,” is less marchlike than the other two, and the instrumentation between the two versions (brass band and concert band) is more varied. The first statement of the chorus is scored for solo cornet supported only by a contrapuntal accompaniment for three trombones in the brass band version. In the concert band setting, this section is scored for saxophones alone, a striking timbral idea in context. Calvert inserted a bar between the chorus and the verse in which he recalled the first bar of “Lewis Bridal Song,” an interesting way of connecting the two songs, but not unusual in Calvert’s music. The melody of the verse is scored in the high register: soprano and first cornet in the brass band, and flute and clarinets in the concert band. The accompaniment is primarily homophonic, but Calvert inserted a short canon at this point that enlivens the music, and he substantially thickened the texture for the last phrase of the tune, including an energetic percussion part. Calvert initially scored the return of the chorus for a small ensemble: in the brass band for first cornet, horns, euphonium, and tuba; in the concert band for saxophones, horns, euphonium, and tuba. The accompanying figures in the low instruments return to the earlier march-like style. While this statement has a rather restrained character, the repeat of the chorus is very dramatic. The full ensemble is engaged, the melody is doubled, the high voices add an impressive obbligato, and other instruments, including percussion, contribute fanfare figures. A brief lyrical countermelody, which stands out in the texture, is derived from the first two bars of the tune (see example 4.5). “Westering Home” is a triple-meter march introduced by a unison fanfare similar to the first two bars of the piece and the introduction to the first chorus of “Lewis Bridal Song.” Other similarities to the first section of this work are also apparent. The accompaniment is a series of rhythmically disjunctive chords, and Calvert added sweeps or other figures and snare drum rolls to maintain momentum through the long notes in the melody, which is, in this instance, assigned to euphonium in the brass band and to the higher voices in the concert band. This texture is continued through the statement of the verse, except that the melody is transferred to middle register instruments (horns, baritones, and euphonium in the brass band; saxophones and horns in the concert band) and the percussion is silenced.

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4œ œ œ œ &b 4

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Three Scottish Songs – Uist Tramping Song, bars 40–43

™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ b 6 Œ ‰ & b 8 œJ ‰ ‰ Œ ™ mf œ™ œ œ œ ™ œ œ b 6 œ™ œ & b 8 œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ mf ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ ? bb 68 œ ‰ Œ ™ Œ ‰ œœ ? bb 68 œ

mf

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4.6 Three Scottish Songs – Westering Home, bars 50–54

The return of the chorus begins a textural accumulation that continues to the final cadence and forms the ultimate climax of the composition. The first statement presents the melody heavily doubled and

The Barrie Band

b6 œ &b 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ mf b6 ™ & b 8 œœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ™ œ mf œ œ™ ? b 68 œœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ™ b ? bb 68 œ™ mf

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? bb œ œ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ œ œ ææ b œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ &b œ bœ œ œ œ j b œœ ™™ œœ œ œœ œ œ ™™ b œ & œ œ Œ™ ? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

167

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Three Scottish Songs – Westering Home, bars 68–76

harmonized mostly in coupled thirds. Around the melody, Calvert constructed a filigree in the high register instruments and doubled the rhythm of the tune with snare drum, which provides the thickly scored melody with substantial impetus. In the brass band, the filigree is assigned to the high cornets and later doubled by euphonium; in the concert band, it is entrusted to clarinets, occasionally doubled by flutes.

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œœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ ™™ œœ œ œœ œœ ™™ œ œ ™ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ b6 ™ œ ™ œ™ œ œ œ ™ œ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ™™ & b 8 œœ™ œ œœ œœ œœœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ b 6f ‰ œ ‰ œœœbœœœ œœœ ™™™ œœ œœ nœœ œœj œœ œj ‰ œ œœ œœ ™™ & b 8 ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ ™™ œœ™™ œ œ œœ œœ œœ >œ ™ œœ œœ œœ ™™ œ œ œ™ > > f > œ œœ ™™ œœ bœœ œœœ ™™™ œœ œœ nœœ œœ œœ œj œœœ œœ œœj ‰ ‰ ? b 68 œœ ™™™ ™ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ b œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œJ œ œ œ™ œ ™ œ f 4.8 Three Scottish Songs – Westering Home, bars 76–79

Near the end of this passage, Calvert inserted another brief lyrical countermelody derived from the tune, similar to that added to the final statement of the chorus of “Uist Tramping Song.” The filigree sweeps the music into the repeat of the chorus and the final section of the work. The melody is placed in the high voices (cornets in the brass band; clarinets and saxophones in the concert band), and the accompaniment is more texturally active than at any previous point in this composition. The syncopated entries and counterpoint against the melody generate enormous drive to the final cadence. A very short coda completes the work. The tempo is abruptly and dramatically slowed for the final phrase of the tune, then Calvert inserts two 4/4 bars into the 6/8 meter in which he recalls the second bar of “Uist Tramping Song” – another, rather surprising in context, example of linking the tunes together. With its relatively simple textures and mostly straightforward harmony, Three Scottish Songs might be considered a backward step compositionally for Calvert. However, despite its comparatively modest musical materials, it comprises attractive, well-structured music that catches the tenor and energy of the tunes and displays effective counterpoint and imaginative scoring. Other than the contrasts enumerated above, the brass band and concert band versions do not differ significantly. There is little doubt that, should both settings be published, they would quickly find favour with conductors and performers in educational and community bands. By the mid-1970s, Calvert was receiving commissions from a variety of sources. In 1975, through a grant from the Ontario Arts Council,

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the Youth Band of Ontario (yBo ) commissioned a new concert band work from him. His Romantic Variations was recorded by the 1975 yBo on a private label (Fantasy Sound FS -23315) and was subsequently performed and recorded by the Arizona State University Band at the American Bandmasters Association convention in Tempe, Arizona, in 1984 (Crest Records Ca -aBa -84-3).56 It was published by Gordon V. Thompson Ltd, Toronto, in 1979 and became one of Calvert’s most popular concert band works, receiving performances across Canada and, to a lesser extent, in the United States. Unfortunately, Gordon V. Thompson ceased publication, and their edition of the work is long out of print. Even so, performance materials are available from the Canadian Music Centre,57 and copies can be found in many high school and university band libraries. The Canadian Music Centre (CMC ), an initiative of the Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Council, was established in Toronto in 1959.58 Its purpose was to serve as a repository of performance materials for Canadian music of all genres; to promote Canadian music nationally and internationally; and to support Canadian composers through grants, copying, and reproduction of scores. The project has been an incredible success. In addition to Toronto, offices in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver serve the entire country and hold thousands of scores/parts both unpublished and published. The CMC has commissioned new works and partnered with numerous other organizations in commissions. Scores may be borrowed free of charge for a period of three months; performance materials can be rented; unpublished scores can be purchased; and archival recordings are available for reference. The centre’s website provides biographical information on all composers in its collection, historical and performance-related details on individual works, online perusal scores of many works, and, where possible, reference recordings. The CMC is the primary source of information on Canadian music for conductors, performers, and researchers, and has immeasurably assisted in the increased (and increasing) recognition of Canada’s music and composers.59 The CMC has always held only a small selection of Calvert’s works and has had a limited role in promoting his music, although that responsibility has significantly increased more recently. At present, the majority of Calvert listings in the CMC catalogue are of recordings of his popular works along with the scores of eight compositions. His two works Romantic Variations and A Song for Our Time were published

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by Gordon V. Thompson, Toronto, and, with the demise of the imprint, are now available only through the CMC . For Calvert, the commission for Romantic Variations came at a fortuitous time. He had been working on the composition for a considerable period, and the commission provided the impetus to complete it. Calvert provided useful insight into his compositional process for this piece: Tune came while travelling on train in Europe in 1970.60 Wrote tune and 2nd var. at that time. Worked out harmonies at the piano (for voicing of notes) later. Term “Romantic” refers to period of music history – late 19th century. Written as I thought Tchaikovsky would have written it. Discipline – to see if I had enough skill and ability to do it. Mod. Music [is] “safe” music. By advertising it as romantic music, I left myself exposed – musically speaking.61 Theme – state as simply as possible so audience will know what material we are dealing with. What possibilities have we: 1. vary rhythm (Var. 2) 2. vary mode (Var. 3 – minor to major) 3. alter tempo 4. add countermelody and thicken scoring (Var. 1) 5. create new melody on original harmony (Var. 4 and 6) 6. exploit certain intervals or melodic fragments of theme (Var. 5) 7. invert theme or portion of same Pacing of movements important (slow, slow, fast, slow, fast, slow, scherzo)62 Calvert’s description can be followed through the work; however, the score does not always exactly match the explanation of the basis of the variations. Calvert’s twenty-four-bar theme, in three eight-bar periods, A–A–B, is presented simply. The first clarinets carry the complete melody, occasionally reinforced by first alto saxophone. The accompaniment for the initial A period consists of chords separated by rests that essentially repeat

The Barrie Band

b 4 &b b 4

œ

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œ œ ˙

p

b & b b œ ˙ #œ ˙ ™ b &b b œ ˙

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4.9 Romantic Variations – Theme, bars 1–24

dominant-tonic cadences in C minor, although this segment ultimately cadences on the dominant (G major) preceded by a French sixth, substituting for the dominant of the dominant. At the second A, the accompaniment becomes more continuous and includes a few simple inner lines. The harmony is also somewhat richer with deceptive cadences to A-flat major and F minor, but the final cadence repeats that of the first period. When the profile of the melody is inverted at the B period, first alto saxophone doubles the melody throughout. The rests disappear from the accompaniment and the harmony functions diatonically in C minor with hints of F minor. The final cadence is decorated with a descending chromatic line in bassoon and tenor sax that momentarily suggests C major before fading to the established tonic, a foreshadowing of upcoming key areas. In this opening section, Calvert ensured that his theme would be clearly audible and established the Romantic harmonic context through the use of third-related keys (C minor, A-flat major, F minor) and the augmented sixth chord (French sixth) as a substitute for the dominant. As Calvert observed, Variation 1 repeats the theme exactly (scored into flutes, first clarinet, and first trumpet) but adds a countermelody that largely remains in the low voices and thickens the texture through internal lines in low clarinets, horns, and saxophones. An effective scoring idea has the low clarinets play all these inner parts while the horns and saxophones alternate every two bars.

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A Life in Music

œ b 4 & b b 4 œ œœ

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4.10 Romantic Variations (Variation 1), bars 25–28

b 6 &b b 8 Œ

Lively

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4.11 Romantic Variations (Variation 2), bars 49–56

As noted above, for Variation 2, Calvert changed the meter from common time to 6/8, but he also increased the tempo. The theme is transformed into a light, lilting melody that parallels the original structure of the theme, but Calvert extends the B period for an additional ten bars, which generates the climax of the variation and also progresses to a remarkably delicate ending. A few brief instances of a cross-rhythm in the saxophones are an obvious nod to Tchaikovsky.

The Barrie Band 4.12 Romantic Variations (Variation 2 – ending), bars 79–82

Clarinet U b 6First ‰ ‰ b b & 8 j œ™ ˙™ œ mf

? bb 68 b

∑

Basses

173

‰ ‰ Œ™ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œj

a little slower

pp

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Generally, the accompaniment is minimal; however, at the B period, Calvert designed an imitative passage that proceeds in contrary motion to the melody. The increased momentum generated by these passages pushes the music toward and through the upcoming climax, but afterward, the accompaniment is again simplified to allow the energy to dissipate in support of the gentle conclusion. Variation 3 is in C major, a key suggested in the final cadence of the theme (bar 24). Considerably slower in tempo, this variation is reminiscent of the deeply expressive music of the late nineteenth century, such as the slow movements of Sergei Rachmaninoff ’s Symphony No. 2, Camille Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3, or Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 with its lament for Richard Wagner. Calvert, however, indicated that Tchaikovsky was his model, and this music, with its descending lines in dotted rhythm, is similar to many passages in Tchaikovsky’s slow movements. The three-note rising motive in bar 11 is virtually a quotation from Tchaikovsky, and another of the Russian composer’s favourite expressive devices. The melody is clearly derived from the theme but is developed considerably through extension, ornamentation, and new material (see example 4.13). The texture is substantially thicker than previously, incorporating independent and coupled lines as well as short imitative figures. The increased contrapuntal activity creates many complex passing harmonies (another late nineteenth-century technique), although at the broadest level, the harmony functions tonally, a technique that has appeared in other Calvert compositions. Structurally, this variation displays a gradual textural accumulation and increasing dynamic that constitute a carefully designed crescendo culminating at forte just past the midpoint, then gradually subsiding to a quiet ending. In his description above, Calvert claimed that Variation 4 consisted of a new melody over the original harmony. This contention is not confirmed by analysis. The harmony is significantly more complex

Slow Flutes 4 Slow174 ∑Flutes A Life in Music ∑ ∑ ∑ Ó ‰ œ -œ™ œ &4 œ™ œ 4 Ó ‰ mfœJ œ™ ∑Flutes ∑ ∑ ∑ & 44 Slow Flutes Ó ‰ œJ -œ™ œ ∑ ∑ ∑ & 444 Slow ∑Clarinets Ó ‰ mfJœ œ ∑ œ™ ∑ œ™ œ œ™ œ ∑ & j œ™œ & 44 Ó ‰∑Clarinets mf ™ œ œ™ ˙ œ œ œ ™Jœ œ ™ œ 4 œj -œ ™ ˙ œ œ -œ ™ œ ˙ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ # œ ™œ œ ™ œn œ mf & 44 Ó ‰ Clarinets œ œ œ- ™ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ™ œ # œ ™œ ™ œn œ ™ œ œ ™ œ p - œ ˙ & 44 Ó ‰ Clarinets j œ™œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ™ œ # œ ™œ œ œn œ ™ œ ™ œ & 4 Ó ‰ pœj -œ ™ œ ˙˙ œœ œ œ- ™ œ ˙ œ œœ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ™ œ # œ ™œ œ ™ œn œ ™ œ œœ ™ œ pœ œ -œ ™ œ œ™ œ - œ ˙ œœ™ œ™ p œ™ ™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™#œnœ ™#œ œ ™ œ#œ ™ œnœb œ œ- ™ œ œ ˙ œ & œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ bœ œœ œ -œ™ œœ ˙ œ œ œ-œ ™™ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™##œœnnœœ ™™##œœ œ ™ œ##œœ ™™ œnnœœb œ œ- ™ œ & ˙˙ œ œ œ™ - œ ˙˙ œœ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ™#œnœ ™#œ œ ™ œ#œ ™ œnœb œ œ- ™ œ & ˙ œ & œ œ ™ œ ˙ œ œ œ™ œ œ ™ œ œ ™ œ œ ™#œnœ ™#œ œ™ œ#œ ™ œnœ œ œ ™ œ & œ™ œ - œ œ œ ™ œ - ™ œ œ ™#œnœ ™#œ œ™ œ#œ ™ œnœ œ œ™ & œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ ™ œ ˙ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ™ œ œ ™ œ - ™ œ œ ™#œnœ ™#œ œ™ œ#œ ™ œnœ - œ & œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ ™ œ ˙ œ œ œ™ œ œ- œ & œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ ™ œ ˙ œ œ œ™ œ œ ™ œ -œ ™ œ œ ™#œnœ ™#œ œ™ œ#œ ™ œnœ œ™ œ™ - œ œ™ œ œ œ b œ ™ œ œ œ b œœ b œœ b -œ b œ ™ œ b œ œ œœ™™ ˙ œ œ -œ™ œ ˙ œ b œ ™ œ b œ ™ b œ & œ b -œœ -œ b -œœ b œ ™ œJ b œœœ œ œœ™™ ˙ œ œ --œ™ œ ˙˙ Jœ b œ œ œœ™™ œ œ bf-œœ b -œœ b -œœ bb œœ ™™ & ˙ œ œ -œ™ œ ˙ b œ ™ b œ Jœ b œœ œ œœ™™ œ b œ b œ œ œ & ˙ fœ œ œ œ™ œ ™ Jœj bœœ œœ ™™ œ & bfœœ bœœ b-œœ bbœœ ™ & œ- ™ œ ˙ œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ™ bff-œœ bœœ b-œœ bbbœœœ ™™™ & ˙ œj bœœœ œ œœ ™™™ œ œ ˙ œ œ ™ bœ œ œ œ™ œ ˙ & ˙ œj bœœ œ œœ ™™ œ œ bbf-œœœ b-œœ bb-œœœ bbbœœœ ™™ -œ ™ œ œ & ˙ œ œ bœ œ œœ ™ œ ˙ œ f-œ - ˙ œ f b œœ ™™ nœ bœœ ™ œ j -œ ™ j œ ™ n œ ™ b œ ™ j œ Ó & b œœ ™™ J bœœ œ œ ™™ œ n-œ ™ œj b-œ ™ nœj - ™ œj œ -œ™ œ ˙ œ n œ œ œ œ œ™ ˙ Ó & b œœ ™™™ nJœ bœœ œ œœ ™™ œ nmf-œ ™ œj b-œ ™ nœj -œ ™ œj œ œ -œ™ œ ˙ Ó œ b œ n œ œ œ ™ œ ™ & œ nJœ bœ œ œœ ™ œ nnmf-œœ ™™ œjj bb-œœ ™™ jj -œœ ™™ jj œœ -œ™ ˙ ÓÓ œ œ™ ˙ n œ œ œ œ j & œ œ & bœœ ™™ nJœ bœœ œ œœ ™™ œ nmf-œ ™ œj b-œ ™ nœj - ™ œj œ Ó œ ˙ -œ ™ œj b-œ ™ nœj -œœ ™ œj œœ œ -œ™ mf & bœœ ™™ nœj bœœ œ œœ ™™ œ nmf œ™ Ó j & bœœ ™™ nœ bœœ œ œœ ™™ œ nmf-œ ™ œj b-œ ™ nœj -œ ™ œj œ œ -œ™ œ ˙˙ Ó œ j nœ3), bars 84–99 œ œ & bœœ ™™ 4.13 œ mf (Variation œ nœ bœœRomantic œ œœ ™™ Variations mf

with streams of seventh chords and cadences in E-flat major, G minor, G major, and B-flat major, mostly relating to each other and to the tonic, C minor, by thirds. The melody is derived from the A period of the theme with the opening skips filled in and the descending scalic passages extended. The accompaniment consists of fanfare motives, that again recall Tchaikovsky symphonies,63 and off-the-beat accented seventh chords that enliven the underlying rhythm and impel the melody forward.

The Barrie Band

b 4 &b b 4 Ó

175

œœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ≈œœ œ

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4.14 Romantic Variations (Variation 4), bars 105–109

This variation presents the most significant performance challenge of the work. Nimble players are required for the melody, which is demanding in both tempo and articulation, and the syncopated accompaniment, often for large groups of players, can be difficult to coordinate. The agile melodic passages are entrusted first to the woodwinds, then to first trumpets; however, the trumpet melody is often assigned to a soloist, and this has become the performance tradition for this variation. Variation 5 deviates the most dramatically from the rest of the work. Calvert suggests that this music is based on intervals or fragments extracted from the theme. The intervals and fragments that appear to have interested Calvert were the rising sixth that begins the theme and the brief rising chromatic passage at bars 7–8. He also created a new motive (marked “x”) that compresses bars 7–9 of the theme, thus 4.15 Romantic Variations (Variation 5), bars 133–140

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Flutes/Clarinets

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b & b nœ œ œ nœ œ #œ œ œ bœ nœ #œ œ bœ œ œ œ nœ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ b Ó Œ ∑ &b ˙ ˙ œ bœ ˙ œ œ bœ œ b˙™ 4.16 Romantic Variations (Variation 5), bars 150–156

linking together the ending of the first phrase and the beginning of the second phrase of the theme. This variation is structured in A–B–A1 form and is in G minor. The initial A section is very transparently scored with a bass line, horn chords, and the melody played in octaves by three solo woodwinds (oboe, flute, and clarinet), which generates an intimate, expressive texture that contrasts with the previous variation. At the B section, the melody is transferred to saxophones with an angular clarinet accompaniment based on the descending diminished seventh (major sixth) that begins the B period of the original theme. As this section progresses, the texture becomes increasingly thicker. Flutes and clarinets in octaves extend the melodic material, while horns alternate on a short descending motive based on bars 5–7 of the theme. Interestingly, the flute/clarinet melody is mostly constructed of twobar segments either repeated or nearly repeated, which allows the harmonic rhythm to slow dramatically, making the music seem to virtually stand still, a pleasing expressive gesture that Calvert first employed in My All Is on the Altar (1951). At the A1 section, the melody from earlier is restated in clarinets, but Calvert incorporated aspects of the angular accompaniment from the B section into the saxophones and wrote a countermelody into flutes and oboes that is again reminiscent of Tchaikovsky, particularly his ballet music (see example 4.17). When the melody repeats at bar 171, it is transferred to flutes while the clarinets present an imitative response. Calvert completed this

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The Barrie Band

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variation by developing his new “motive x” as a falling sequence to bring this intimate and captivating variation to peaceful repose. Variation 6, the finale of the work, is a scherzo in 12/8 time and G minor, which effectively draws together all the elements of the piece. The tempo marking (dotted quarter = 112) is significant, since it matches the tempo of the theme when first expressed at the beginning of the work, and Calvert recalls the theme in its original form at the climax of this variation. Structurally, the variation comprises an introduction–A–A1–interlude–A2; that is, this scherzo is based on the same few motives, but presented in varied forms. An eight-bar introduction establishes the tempo and meter, and presents a fanfare based on familiar material that is imitated through euphonium, saxophones, and high woodwinds. The thematic material, primarily motivic and canonic, arrives at the A segment (bar 189). The principal motive is derived from the melody of Variation 3, appearing first in flutes and imitated canonically in clarinets. Simultaneously, the oboe presents a skeletonized version of the opening motive of the theme (see example 4.18). The only accompaniment is a bass line shared by bass clarinet and bassoons and sustained passages in saxophones and horns that employ familiar brief fragments from the theme. This texture – canonic passages between flutes and clarinets with the bass line – is continued into the A1 segment (bars 197–204); however, the accompanying saxophone and horn parts become more melodic and more closely derived from

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4.18 Romantic Variations (Variation 6), bars 189–190

thematic elements. Calvert adds colour to the texture by also placing these lines in canon between horns and saxophones. The interlude (bars 204–213) essentially consists of a full-band fanfare that leads to a massive climax at bar 210. The musical content is not specifically related to previous material and, although chromatically inflected, strongly suggests A-flat major, the Neapolitan of the key, and possibly a long-range reference to deceptive cadences in the harmonization of the original theme. Approaching the climax, two progressions appear in which every voice moves by half-step – more Wagner than Tchaikovsky – but a harmonic strategy seen in other of Calvert’s works, including his earliest surviving composition, Memories of Jackson’s Point. When the A2 segment arrives at bar 214, the canonic woodwind parts are repeated but are more heavily scored and later ornamented to build momentum and to ensure balance against the brass instruments, which recall the theme exactly as it initially appeared, although transposed down a perfect fourth to match the new key (G minor). Recalling the theme in this way provides a remarkably satisfying musical unity to the work as a whole and may have been conceived as a recollection of Tchaikovsky’s fondness for cyclic form. The dotted rhythms and downward profile of the canonic motives, combined with a driving snare drum part against the sustained lyricism of the theme, propel the music to a dramatic conclusion. Interestingly, the final two chords approximate a Phrygian cadence (iiø7–i), which “should” sound out of place in the generally tonal harmonic context. However, Calvert prepared this unusual cadence by duplicating the progression repeatedly throughout this variation, although not always in cadential situations.

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Romantic Variations was well received by concert band conductors and is still Calvert’s best-known concert band work; however, the recently published concert band version of Suite on Canadian Folk Songs, which, unlike Romantic Variations, is readily available, may soon replace it among conductors. Although the performance materials no longer are available commercially, Romantic Variations continues to receive performances. For example, it was selected for a special performance by the combined forces of the McGill University Wind Symphony, the 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Band, and La Musique des Fusiliers Mont-Royal conducted by Capt-Retd Timothy Cummings on 8 April 2014 at L’Église St-Jean-Baptiste in Montreal to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the First World War and the seventieth anniversary of D-Day.64 With the exception of Variation 4, it is not especially difficult to perform, and it makes fine use of the musical resources of the concert band. It has been applauded by conductors and researchers as an important original band work in late nineteenth-century style,65 an area in which the concert band repertoire is substantially deficient. For Calvert, 1977–78 was particularly rich with commissions. The most important of these was the test piece for the first European Brass Band Championship, held in the Royal Albert Hall, London (UK), in October 1978. Calvert composed Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, his most significant secular brass band work. The event organizing committee flew him to London to hear each competitor play the piece, although, as he noted rather wryly in a later interview with the Barrie Banner, hearing it once would have been enough.66 An incomplete autograph score of the Introduction is dated 1977 and dedicated to his father: “a more avid bandsman there never was.” One wonders if this dedication was an attempt to repair his relationship with his father, which had been difficult since his divorce from Grace. Interestingly, this work illustrates the challenges Calvert faced as an active composer who also had full-time employment as a high school band director and obligations in the community. The two-part Introduction was reused, albeit considerably recomposed, as a concert band work, Introduction and Scherzo, which was written at the request of the John Adaskin Project (discussed in more detail below) with funds from the Ontario Arts Council and completed in April 1978. The Elegy and Caprice are re-scorings of the Passacaglia and Rondo of his 1967 brass

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quintet An Occasional Suite. It is apparent that he was having difficulty balancing the demands of his teaching position and other responsibilities with those of his creative work, although the musical materials sound very comfortable in their new settings. The Introduction is the only newly composed music in this piece. It begins with a solemn fourteen-bar Grave section, which is another of Calvert’s compositions that verges on atonality. The key is ostensibly B-flat minor, but motivic figures in streams of parallel or contrary motion triads and seventh chords would eliminate all sense of tonic except for a persistent B-flat pedal in the basses and a timpani “heartbeat” on the same pitch. These motivic figures are the germ out of which the movement is built. This section ends on an E-flat minor seventh chord with an added sharp fourth – the tritone that Calvert was fond of including in sonorities of various colours. Similar chords appear frequently throughout the rest of the movement. The Allegro commences immediately. When he rewrote this movement for concert band, Calvert renamed the Allegro as a Scherzo, a term that certainly fits this music with its relentless energy, rhythmic dislocations, and humorous, unexpected silences. The first theme emerges gradually over an accented series of chords mostly related to B-flat minor by thirds, which are often rhythmically displaced. The melody itself is comprised of motives drawn from the preceding Grave section. Calvert immediately began developing the melody through fragmentation, recombination, and imitation. The disrupted rhythm continues,

The Barrie Band

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4.20 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 1, bars 15–26

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4.21 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 1, bars 62–72

and the harmony grows progressively more dissonant, all of which contributes to the tenacious energy of this section. What initially appears to be a new melody emerges at bar 62, presented in canon at the second between soprano cornet and flugelhorn/solo horn, but closer inspection reveals that this melodic idea is a development of bars 9–10

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of the theme. The canonic structure and polytonal harmony generate the climax of this section (see example 4.21). A contrasting section arrives at bar 78. Calvert created an elegant lyrical melody that is initially assigned to the warm middle register sound of the horns, then repeated by the cornets. Although the style is transformed, this melody is derived from the last three bars of the original theme. The texture is homophonic; however, Calvert ensured that the tempo would not slow down during the repeat of his new tune by adding a snare drum part and a recall of the first motive of the canonic, preceding melody. This segment leads directly into an imitative interlude that gradually fades and is completed by a silent fermata. A multi-part coda commences at bar 111. In the first part, trombones and percussion respond to, and overlap, each other within a rhythmic context that includes unexpected dislocations. The three-voice trombone figures begin in unison; however, the first part rises chromatically to create a series of dissonant trichords over a pedal F in timpani. This section is clearly intended to be humorous and prepares listeners for the upcoming parts of the coda.

4.22 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 1, bars 111–127

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Calvert then provided a hint of recapitulation by repeating the first ten bars of the Allegro exactly as they had originally appeared. This segment again ends in a silent fermata. At the final part of the coda (bar 139), the music starts up and falters jovially in silences a couple of times, then presents two four-bar episodes that are canonic developments of the first bar of the theme, in a harmonic context that evolves from unison to near-cluster sonorities. Both the silences and the harmony were prepared by the preceding trombone/percussion segment. The ending is also amusing. Solo and soprano cornet present a B-flat minor arpeggio that rises into their highest register while the basses simultaneously play the same arpeggio descending into their low register. The two lines end on the tonic five octaves apart as the extremes of a pianissimo B-flat minor chord. For anyone familiar with the wind band repertoire, this idea is reminiscent of the ending of the fourth movement of Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F for military band, where piccolo and tuba perform a similar wedge figure. Calvert had programmed the Holst Second Suite with his high school bands and possibly also with the Lakeshore Concert Band; it is difficult to imagine that this echo of Holst’s witty ending was unintentional. A combination of seriousness and humour make this movement an effective introduction to the rest of the work where these principles will be explored to a greater degree. As noted above, when Calvert re-scored the Passacaglia from An Occasional Suite as the second movement of this brass band work, he changed the title to Elegy, which more accurately reflects the lamenting character of this music. For the most part, the movement is a direct transcription from the brass quintet; however, Calvert thickened the textures by doubling most of the voices, which generates a much more dramatic textural accumulation as each of the five statements of the theme enter in sequence. In a few cases, he took advantage of the wider range of timbral variety in the brass band. For example, in the brass quintet, the first statement of the theme is by trombone, and the trombonist continues to play the countermelody when the horn enters with the second statement. In the brass band version, the first statement is by euphonium, and the baritone plays the countermelody under the second entry in solo horn. Calvert also altered the coda. This version has the same hesitant character that is present in the quintet with short phrases, silences, and fermatas. However, the composer added two bars at the beginning of the coda that consist simply of a sustained high register D-flat in soprano and ripieno cornet, which continues over the

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4.23 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 2, bars 61–66

entry of the low instruments with the truncated version of the theme that had appeared in An Occasional Suite at this point. The music then proceeds precisely as it had in the quintet. The sustained high register pitch has a striking effect, a kind of mournful cry that enhances the sense of sadness and loss. This movement in the brass quintet score was called “Brahmsian” by a critic.67 With its thicker textures and expanded emotional range, the brass band version corresponds more closely to this description. Also, while no direct musical connection is apparent, the Elegy recalls the opening Grave of the first movement in its solemnity and complex non-tonal harmony. Like the Passacaglia/Elegy, the Caprice is essentially a direct transcription of the Rondo from An Occasional Suite, with its spritely good humour. No new musical ideas are incorporated into the transcription, but as he had with recasting of other quintet movements as brass band works, Calvert thickened textures and enhanced timbral variety. The most striking example of increased instrumental colour occurs at the rhythmically asymmetrical middle section, identified as the beginning of the development in the earlier analysis of An Occasional Suite. This section begins with three similar two-bar phrases employing measures in 3/2 and 5/4. In the quintet, Calvert had limited opportunity for timbral variety. All the instruments play together apart from a few rests for tuba. The larger resources of the brass band allowed for a great deal more contrast. Calvert scored the first phrase in the middle register for flugelhorn, horns, and baritones; the second phrase for full band;

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and the third for middle register instruments again. The subsequent shifting meter section (3/2, 7/4, 4/4) is set for full band answered by the high voices. These contrasts make an already dazzling segment even more luminous. A few other changes are notable. The second part of the initial tune was divided into two four-bar phrases and played in turn by the two trumpets of the brass quintet but is assigned entirely to solo cornet in the brass band. Calvert was cognizant of the need to give the quintet members opportunities to rest from time to time, and splitting the melody accomplished this goal. In the brass band, the lead cornet part would normally be played by more than one performer, reducing the need for carefully considered rests. At bars 41–42 of the quintet, the tuba plays a swiftly rising scalic passage that culminates on a high F-flat – very high in the tuba register. Since this work was written for professional musicians, such an extreme range was workable. At the same place in the brass band score, Calvert divided the passage between tuba and euphonium, an acknowledgment that few non-professional tubists were likely capable of playing in this register. Similarly, the descending C-flat major sweep in the tuba that ended the quintet and started on high B-flat is divided between euphonium and tuba to ease the registral challenge. Like the quintet, the final section is an exact recapitulation of the first eighteen bars of the movement, plus the coda; however, Calvert took the opportunity to expand the secondlast chord from a B-flat diminished triad to near-cluster harmony. Calvert’s transcriptions of the Passacaglia and Rondo from An Occasional Suite are totally convincing and perhaps more effective in their new scoring. Introduction, Elegy and Caprice is among Calvert’s bestknown pieces and one of his major accomplishments as a composer. It has been recorded numerous times. Along with For Our Transgressions, it represents the pinnacle of the composer’s contributions to the brass band repertoire. While working on Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Calvert received another commission. As noted earlier, the John Adaskin Project and the Ontario Arts Council requested a concert band work. Calvert’s response, Introduction and Scherzo, was completed in April 1978. It revisits the Introduction from the brass band composition and, although employing the same musical elements, is substantially extended through repeats and further motivic development.

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In 1961, cellist, conductor, and music producer John Adaskin (1908– 1964) was appointed executive secretary of the CMC . Adaskin was deeply concerned with Canadian music generally and with the education of young performers. To combine these two interests, he launched the “Graded Educational Music Plan,” which sought out all Canadian music already written for young musicians and screened it according to level of difficulty and appropriateness for school use. At this point, Adaskin expressed the aspiration that in five years’ time, twenty-five per cent of music used in Canadian schools would be by Canadian composers. He then initiated the “Seminar for Graded Educational Music.” In November 1963, fifteen composers spent three days in Toronto-area schools working with classes ranging from grade four (elementary music) to high school (orchestra, band, and choir classes). The seminar generated enormous enthusiasm, and Adaskin proposed that it become an annual event. Unfortunately, he died suddenly in March 1964. His successor, Keith MacMillan, continued the initiative. The fifteen composers submitted works based on their experiences in the schools, and “Seminar II” took place in March 1965. At this event, all the works were performed by students and were assessed by the delegates to ascertain grade levels and genres where quality music was especially a problem. They also decided to name the initiative the “John Adaskin Project” (jaP ) in honour of its founder. The CMC hosted a third conference, “Policy Conference: Toward New Music in Education,” in Toronto in November 1967 with a much wider reach, drawing delegates from across the country. (Morley Calvert attended this conference.) The focus was on establishing a creative approach to introducing contemporary music into school classrooms. Also, responsibility for the project was transferred to the Canadian Music Educators Association (CMea ) with the CMC in a supporting role. By 1973, Dr Patricia Shand, who sat on the CMea board and was a faculty member at the University of Toronto, had assumed the directorship of the John Adaskin Project and held it until her retirement in 2011. Under Shand’s direction, the project undertook to acquaint music educators with available quality Canadian music suitable for schools, to grade and promote publication of new works, and to encourage composers to add to the repertoire. These objectives were accomplished through annotated lists, workshops, demonstrations, and lectures for teachers and through commissioning of new works. By 1999, Shand could point to thirty-one compositions either commissioned directly

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by the jaP or in collaboration with other organizations. Since 2000, the jaP has limited direct commissioning but continues to support activities promoting Canadian music. For example, it worked with the CMC on the “Canadian Wind Band Repertory Project,” a major enterprise that evaluated every wind band work in the CMC collection and produced a very useful annotated catalogue, and in 2004, it supported a concert and demonstration of Canadian music presented by the University of Toronto Wind Ensemble, Dr Jeffrey Reynolds, conductor, at the Ontario Music Educators’ Conference. The impact of the jaP is best assessed at the elementary school level where Adaskin’s aspiration of Canadian compositions making up twenty-five per cent of music used in classes has been reached and sustained. Unfortunately, band, orchestra, and choir classes in high schools still rely very heavily on non-Canadian materials and are far from reaching Adaskin’s goal.68 Since the concert band work Introduction and Scherzo would be a free-standing composition and not part of a larger work, Calvert altered the structure of the parent movement in significant ways. The Grave section, now the Introduction, was repeated to provide it with more weight in relation to the Allegro, now the Scherzo, which was also considerably extended. The opening section of the Allegro with its two themes, rhythmic displacements, and dynamic extremes, as well as the subsequent elegant lyrical section, are essentially a straightforward transcription from the brass band original. However, at the point in the brass band where the lyrical section ended, Calvert added a new forty-nine-bar section to the concert band score that develops the lyrical theme and also makes reference to the first section of the Scherzo. As the new developmental section progresses, references to the initial part of the Scherzo become more frequent because Calvert was preparing a dal segno that would repeat much of the earlier music, including the first part of the lyrical section. The composer apparently felt that substantial recapitulation was necessary to balance the new development. The coda is again a direct transcription from the brass band score; however, the ending is altered. The wedge figure, which echoes Holst, is present in flute and tuba, but Calvert added three bars that comprised of a very lightly scored B-flat minor triad, a silence, and a loud, full-band unison B-flat. The scoring of the wedge and the loud concluding gesture make the reference to Holst more convincing, since Holst ended his work on a loud chord following the piccolo/ tuba wedge.

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When restructuring the first movement from Introduction, Elegy and Caprice as a stand-alone concert band work, Calvert extended the movement through development, clarified the form, and nearly doubled its length. Although not published until 2009, Introduction and Scherzo was available from the CMC and did receive occasional performances. With publication, this composition, with its highly effective blend of seriousness and humour, will hopefully attract many more conductors and performers. In the late 1970s, Calvert was approached by the Ottawa Brass Quintet, who were all members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NaCo ), to compose a new brass quintet.69 Douglas Sturdevant, principal trumpet of the NaCo , contacted Calvert, who agreed to the commission. Sturdevant was unsure of the specific date of this request, but remembered that, while Calvert agreed, he also advised that he was busy writing Introduction, Elegy and Caprice as the test piece for the European Brass Band Championship in London, UK, which would place the Ottawa Brass Quintet’s offer of a commission in late 1977 or early 1978. Sturdevant’s application to the Canada Council for funding was denied. When he asked why, he was “dumbfounded” to learn that Calvert was not included in the reference the council used to identify Canadian composers. Despite his protestations, the council was adamant, and the project failed.70 However, a new brass quintet was, in fact, written. The Contemporary Music Showcase Association, with funds from the Ontario Arts Council, provided Calvert’s third commission of 1978, for a brass quintet. The Contemporary Music Showcase was founded in Toronto in 1970. Its original purpose was to promote the use of contemporary music in performance and teaching, but since 1976, it has focussed exclusively on Canadian music. In addition to commissioning new works, it presents student performances of Canadian works, organizes a student composer competition, and confers scholarships and awards. In 1978, it changed its name to the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects (aCNMP ). By 1990, the alliance had commissioned more than fifty Canadian composers.71 In association with the CMC , the aCNMP has continued its activities until the present day and has expanded operations well beyond Toronto.72 Calvert’s new brass quintet, Three Dance Impressions, was completed in December 1978 and contains some of his most sophisticated music. The three movements contrast strongly with each other and, in

The Barrie Band

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a tribute to the composer’s compositional imagination, bear little resemblance to either of his first two quintets. David Cavlovic noted that the first movement, With Dignity, has the character of a Renaissance dance,73 and the intensely imitative, often canonic, texture of the movement is reminiscent of a Renaissance fantasia. The harmony, however, with its added-note chords, major sevenths, and passing sharp dissonances, quickly dispels any neo-Renaissance harmonic characteristics. The movement has two related themes that contrast in profile and in the style in which they are presented. The A theme, in G-natural minor (or Aeolian mode), is marked marcato. After the statement of the melody, Calvert inserted a nineteen-bar transition that consists of a development of the first two bars of the theme and culminates in a four-voice canon, a foreshadowing of the imitative development to come. The B theme, in B-flat major, borrows motives from A but has a rising profile and is marked cantabile. Canonic elements are introduced immediately with the second trumpet echoing the first a bar later. However, despite the difference in key, the change of style is the primary contrast between the two themes. Calvert then launches into development of both themes, mostly in canon or other forms of imitation. Sometimes the themes are presented separately, with their contrasting styles; other times the two themes are developed simultaneously. A recapitulation of the first twenty-one bars of the movement, somewhat differently harmonized and in a thickened texture, appears at bar 77, followed by a short coda based on the first two-bar motive of A. The final two bars are extraordinary. While the trumpets play the motive in octaves, the three lower voices present parallel descending chromatic scales that create a series of minor triads descending by half-step. The effect is a resolute drive to the cadence, somewhat akin to racing irresistibly downhill.

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With Dignity is rather simple music with diatonic melodies and few performance challenges. Calvert’s harmonic choices – frequent stepwise progressions created through chromatic parallelisms, unresolved sevenths, quintal and quartal sonorities, and numerous augmented sixths along with skilfully constructed imitative counterpoint – generate a warmly attractive movement that appeals to performers and listeners alike. The second movement, With Elegance, conforms to no specific structure but comprises a single continuously evolving melody, one of Calvert’s most attractive creations. It opens with a four-bar introduction where the horn presents two motives from the upcoming tune. The melody, played by the trumpets, repeats the horn motives as its last four bars. Although motives from the melody recur, the tune itself is never exactly repeated. The music moves smoothly through familiar motives that can easily be related to preceding elements of the tune. Like the

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previous movement, the texture is often imitative and occasionally canonic; however, most of this music is freely contrapuntal, the lines responding to each other or to the melody, and sometimes moving in parallel in thirds, fifths, or complete chords. Also, like the first movement, Calvert’s harmony includes stepwise progressions, including consecutive dominant sevenths, but diatonically functioning progressions are also present. The climax occurs at bars 30–31. Intentionally or accidentally, Calvert replicated the Golden Mean by placing this point almost exactly two-thirds through the movement. The first trumpet sweeps into its high register, and the music comes to a halt on an A half-diminished chord under a fermata. A short recitative for first trumpet leads to a recall, but not a repeat, of earlier music, although the first motive of the horn melody from bars 1 and 2 is restated in canon among trombone, tuba, and second trumpet in the last four bars, providing a hint of arch form. With Elegance is exquisite music. Its gently melancholic character and constantly flowing figuration is somewhat reminiscent of Chanson Mélancolique from Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Carefully placed dynamics add substantially to the expressiveness of this music, perhaps most notably at the climax where a diminuendo is indicated through the molto rallentando that leads to the fermata – a withholding of momentum that renders this passage deeply moving.

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The third movement, With Humour, is another of Calvert’s forays into musical wit. As in his other works reviewed in this chapter, Calvert employs unexpected silences, but in this movement asymmetrical and shifting meter, as well as cheerful wrong-note harmony, are the principal sources of humour. All the sections have different key signatures, but since the harmony seldom adheres to the key, it seems more appropriate to discuss pitch levels rather than keys. However, the most remarkable aspect of this music is that, although contrasting sections proliferate, the entire movement is based on the single melody on F, presented in the first few bars. Calvert began developing variety from the first statement of the movement’s sixteen-bar theme. The first phrase is presented by solo 4.29 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 1–16 y

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first trumpet; the second phrase has a simple “oom-pah” (actually, in this case “oom-pah-oom-pah-pah”) accompaniment; the third phrase accompaniment is similar but thicker in texture; and the final phrase has a complex accompaniment that includes dominant seventh chords descending chromatically in the three lower voices while the trumpets on the melody and countermelody insert half-step dissonances against the lower instruments. However, this section cadences on an F major chord – the tonic according to the key signature. More contrast follows immediately. Over an established vamp, the horn plays the first eight bars of the theme transposed down a major third. However, the melody starts a beat early, making the first two notes into an annacrusic figure, and the meter signature is 6+4/8. Since the metrical accents fall on different pitches, the melody sounds new rather than a repeat of the theme. The second trumpet completes the melody by presenting the second period of the theme as it had initially appeared, supported by a simple non-diatonic accompaniment that nevertheless cadences in D-flat major, again conforming to the key signature. At this point, the first trumpet restates the first four bars of the theme at its original pitch level over a chordal background, but the second phrase is transposed up a perfect fourth. This thematic statement segues into a canonic development of the “y” motive. This motive moves through the trumpets and trombone and settles into the tuba, which restructures it as an ostinato that is the only accompaniment to a statement of the melody, transposed down a minor sixth from the original, and played by the horn. After eight bars, the ostinato is replaced by a simple accompaniment while the horn continues the third phrase of the theme. The fourth phrase is remarkable. The melody is transferred to first trumpet, and for the first two bars, it is accompanied in parallel by second trumpet and horn, creating a series of sonorities descending mostly by step. 4.30 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 54–57 (horn and tuba)

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A Life in Music

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The subsequent two bars include only the first three beats of the final phrase; the entire group plays them loud, accented, and in unison (see example 4.30). The missing beat is an unexpected silent fermata – the first in With Humour – and another climactic moment placed exactly two-thirds through the movement. The unison and silence also signalled that something new was about to appear. Calvert developed the y motive into a four-bar melody that is the first contrasting thematic element, albeit closely derived from the primary theme. The new melody is stated four times, transposed by a perfect fourth at each entrance. For the first time in this piece, the accompaniment is a single reiterated chord, a dominant seventh that rises a perfect fourth at each statement. Calvert maintains interest and diversity by placing the third and fourth statements of the new theme

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against its inversion; second trumpet against trombone and first trumpet against horn (see examples 4.32 and 4.33). The final appearance of the complete theme arrives in first trumpet at bar 86. This iteration is on B-flat, forming a long-range dominant to tonic harmonic movement in relation the theme’s first presentation. Throughout this final presentation, the accompaniment always proceeds in parallel, creating virtually continuous stepwise progressions. For the first phrase, mostly major chords appear in the horn, trombone, and tuba. At the second phrase, second trumpet is added, expanding the chords to a stream of dominant sevenths. For the third and fourth phrases, the accompaniment is more contrapuntal but continues to proceed in lockstep with mostly stepwise harmony. The fourth phrase is again abruptly truncated by one beat, with the missing beat a silent fermata similar to bars 68–69. Following the fermata, the trumpets and trombone quietly reiterate a G-flat augmented chord while the horn contributes the first three beats of the theme on G-flat, followed by another silent fermata. In the concluding two bars, the pitch leaps up a major third to B-flat and the entire group presents the first two beats of the theme accented and in unison, again reminiscent of bar 68. However, in the final bar, the middle voices drop out while first trumpet and tuba execute another wedge figure leading to a full ensemble B-flat major chord. With Humour stands as a superb example of an imaginative composer creating compelling music using limited material. The asymmetrical 4.34 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 102–105

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meter and well-designed counterpoint generate enormous energy that suggests folk dance, although no previously existing material is present. Three Dance Impressions is a highly successful work, blending hints of ancient dance music with profound expressivity and lighthearted good humour. Published in 1979 by Berandol Music, it has established a place in the brass quintet repertoire throughout North America and in Japan, and is especially popular on university campuses, both with faculty ensembles and advanced student performers, probably as a follow-up to Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Calvert was apparently intrigued with the wedge as a cadential formula in 1978: all three of his commissions from that year end in this manner. However, these instances were not the first time this figuration had appeared in Calvert’s music. He had employed it in the final movement of An Occasional Suite in 1967, which was, of course, reused as the third movement of Introduction, Elegy and Caprice. In 1979 and 1980, Calvert was engaged to conduct the band at the Youth Band and Choir Workshop, sponsored by the Canadian Band Directors’ Association and Fanshawe College, London, Ontario.74 The workshop was an annual event founded in 1970 by Martin Boundy (1911–1998),75 music director at Fanshawe College. It was supported by the Ontario Arts Council, which provided funds to bring professional performers to London76 and commissioned new works to be performed at the gala concert, Youth Makes Music, in Centennial Hall, London, on the final day of the workshop. Calvert was commissioned to compose a work for choir and band for the 1979 event. His composition A Song for Our Time used words by Dolores Pitcher that he substantially adapted to make them more suitable to be set to music. The text is beautiful and, in its assertion of the power of music to bring unity and harmony to humankind, is appropriate for a work intended for young people. Unfortunately, it is marred by non-inclusive language that might have been acceptable at the time but is problematic today, although the sexist content could easily be altered [see suggestions below] to become more inclusive. Expressions of our life and times we proclaim thru our song, Universal feelings which to us all belong. Songs of true contentment; Songs to say we care. Songs that bring eternal hope to a future we must share.

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Music serves to free us, reaching out to all mankind. [Music serves to free us, reaching out to humankind.] Opening up the hearts of all who would this freedom find. Giving life a unity; A common place to grow, Letting men walk hand in hand and brotherhood to know. [Letting us walk hand in hand and fellowship to know.] Then let the voices of all men in unison resound. [Then let the voices of us all in unison resound.] Goals of living be pronounced and harmony abound. Let music fill our souls, And may our hearts rejoice In knowing that on all the earth there is love in ev’ry voice.77 Confusion surrounds the premiere of this work. Calvert performed it with the Barrie Central Band and Eastview Secondary School Concert Choir on 14 May 1980, and a note in the program claimed that it was first performed in Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, on 25 April 1980 “at the closing ceremonies of a Youth Music Festival sponsored by the Canadian Band Directors’ Association and Fanshawe College.”78 This is clearly in error since a similar program from a Barrie Central Band concert on 16 May 1979 states that Calvert had conducted at “the Ontario Youth Band and Choir Workshop a performance of a piece for choir and band of his own composition,”79 which can only have been A Song for Our Time. Also, while the London Free Press confirms that Calvert was the conductor of the workshop youth band in 1980, the paper indicates that the event took place from 1–4 May 1980. The Youth Makes Music concert occurred on Sunday, 4 May, and did include a newly commissioned chorus/band work; however, it was titled Spring 1980 and was written not by Calvert but by Gary Morton, a former Londoner, who was a member of the Canadian Forces Central Band in Ottawa and staff arranger for the rCMP Band, also based in Ottawa.80 It seems certain that the premiere of Calvert’s chorus/ band work occurred during the same event the previous year. In 1979, the Fanshawe College workshop took place 27–29 April, and Calvert was one of the conductors, along with well-known Dutch composer/ conductor Henk van Lijnschooten.81 Unfortunately, the London Free Press appears to have written very little about the Youth Band and

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Choir Workshop in 1979, making it difficult to confirm precisely that the premiere of Calvert’s chorus/band composition did occur during this event.82 A Song for Our Time was also presented by a band and a massed choir during the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, 1984.83 Gordon V. Thompson published it in 1980, but it is currently out of print. Performance materials are available from the Canadian Music Centre. Calvert set the three verses of the text in an adapted A–B–A1 form. The B theme incorporates material from the A theme, and although motives are recalled, little actual repetition occurs in the A1 section, generating a work that is well integrated but also offers variety. The eight-bar instrumental introduction presents the primary motive of the A theme in canon among the brass instruments and establishes the key, B-flat major, although Calvert includes a favourite progression, a descending major third to G-flat major, then continues progressions by thirds through E-flat minor and C diminished seventh before returning to the tonic. The first choral entry (bar 8) illustrates how well Calvert’s A motive fits the text. This entry is mostly unaccompanied, establishing a compositional principle for the entire work. The choir is often a cappella with the band inserting brief motives between the choral phrases to guide the singer’s pitch, but never competing with them and rarely doubling any chorus part. Calvert was clearly aware of balance as the major concern when writing chorus/band compositions, where the instruments 4.35

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can easily overpower the singers. In keeping with the festive character of the Youth Makes Music concert, a bright fanfare consisting only of B-flat and A-flat major chords mostly in root position is presented by trumpets and horns between the choral phrases of the first verse.84 This fanfare, scored into various instruments, appears frequently throughout the work and contributes considerable momentum, in addition to supporting the exultant quality of the music, especially during the first and third verses. A ten-bar interlude for the band, based on the opening motive of the A theme, precedes the second verse. The fanfare also appears during this segment, played several times by different groups of woodwind instruments. The initial motive of the B theme is introduced in the last two bars, creating the smooth connection into the upcoming verse that has been observed in other Calvert works. Calvert apparently felt that the words of the second verse were more intimate in character, or he was especially fond of this part of the text and wanted the words to be easily understood. He set this verse virtually entirely a cappella, supported only by solo instruments playing the first bar of the B theme during the phase endings. Another instrumental interlude separates verse two and three. This segment, sixteen bars long, is over a dominant pedal and presents the initial motive of the B theme in sequence rising chromatically for a full octave. The harmony, a series of major triads, also rises in half-steps. This segment begins quietly, but as the texture gradually accumulates and the pitch level rises, the dynamics progress from piano to forte. Appearances of the fanfare contribute to the growing intensity. Controlling the gradient of this long crescendo is one of the performance challenges of the work. Since the final verse (or A1 section) is the most heavily scored part of the work, Calvert reduced the choir to mostly two-part harmony or unison. Four-part writing appears only at the words “and harmony abound,” an obvious programmatic image, and at the final line of text. The choral music for this section is essentially a recall of the first verse considerably adapted to fit the new words, and the band assists in the sense of recapitulation by contributing music drawn from the preceding interlude (based on the B section) and hints of the fanfare. At the climax (bars 80–82), the choir is a cappella and divided into six parts, a striking gesture since throughout this verse the band has provided an active accompaniment. A short, brilliant coda concludes the

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composition. The choir, in six-part harmony, sustains the tonic, B-flat major, for four bars, while the full band presents the fanfare in the oboes and brass, and rapid, scalic sweeps by the clarinets. The final cadence is unusual: B-flat major, G-flat major ninth, A-flat major seventh, B-flat major. It cannot be coincidental that the B-flat–G-flat progression previously appeared in the very first measures of the piece. A Song for Our Time, Calvert’s second work for chorus and band, appeared almost three decades after his first, the early composition, Canada for God, written in 1952. While Canada for God was a functional work in three identical verses with the band mostly providing straightforward support for the voices, A Song for Our Time is a considerably more accomplished composition. If Calvert felt in any way restricted by writing for young singers and instrumentalists, it is not apparent in the music. Harmonically, this work employs the composer’s usual expanded tonality with unresolved seventh and ninth chords and chromaticisms. Minor and major seventh chords proliferate, with the latter often serving as substitutes for dominant sonorities, an approach observed in other works by Calvert but especially prominent in this composition. Much of the choral writing appears to have been conceived linearly rather than harmonically, often generating passing quartal/quintal chords and other dissonances. Calvert expected the singers to perform unaccompanied much of the time, and the contrasting of the band alone, the choir a cappella, and the groups combined created a great deal of pleasing timbral variety. With minor changes

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to the text, A Song for Our Time is an interesting and effective composition well suited to the school-based and youth groups for which it was intended. Calvert composed choral music throughout his career, but when he began working in churches other than the Salvation Army, his interest in this genre increased considerably. Written in the years prior to his retirement from Barrie Central Collegiate in December 1985 are two interesting choral works. His a cappella setting of the Christmas song “Sleep, Holy Babe” is dated November 1984 and is an arrangement of the setting by Richard Holz that, as previously noted, he performed with the King Edward Choir on 26 November 1986.85 Holz’s composition is for a cappella choir, but Calvert apparently adapted it to better suit his singers. He maintained Holz’s melody and, for the most part, his harmony; however, the accompanying parts are rearranged. Calvert reduced to four parts some brief five-part passages where Holz had written two tenor lines, and the bass line was often transposed up an octave. Interestingly, the final phrase of the piece is identical in both settings. Calvert also added an imaginative nuance. He marked the three verses progressively quieter in volume so that the choir literally whispers the final verse, apparently a programmatic depiction of the baby Jesus gradually falling asleep. This must have been a spectacular effect at a 1984 Christmas Eve service, presumably in his home church at the time, Barrie’s St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. The other interesting work from this period is his August 1984 setting of the Salvation Army hymn My Life Must Be Christ’s Broken Bread for chorus and organ. In Salvation Army usage, this hymn is designated for Consecration and Service and is often performed at funerals,86 probably because the words, written by General Albert Orsborn in 1947, are singularly appropriate, dealing with death and the hope of eternal life. The tune, adapted from an oratorio by Ludwig (Louis) Spohr, is unusual in that it is comprised of seven-bar phrases. A musically interesting introduction precedes the three verses of the hymn, set for contrasting combinations of singers. The introduction states the first part of the tune in the high voices while the harmony accumulates downward in parallel scales, beginning in two parts and intensifying to five, and creating a crescendo that starts as a whisper in the high register and gradually expands into full, resonant sonorities comprising seventh and ninth chords – a striking musical gesture that is highly effective on organ.

The Barrie Band

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The first verse is set simply in four-part harmony for the chorus supported by the organ, which doubles the voices and adds descant figures. The harmony is diatonic within F major enriched by neighbouring notes and other passing dissonances. A brief interlude follows that employs the last three bars of the tune in canon. At the second verse, the choir is reduced to unison women’s voices only and the organ accompaniment is independent of the voices and, in context, surprisingly chromatic. Neighbouring notes and descant figures from the initial verse persist and are substantially intensified. Short chromatic inner lines generate chords well beyond the confines of F major, although the phrase cadences are mostly simple dominant to tonic cadences in related keys. The subsequent interlude again draws on the third-last bar of the tune,

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developed sequentially. The concluding verse, again in unison, incorporates the full chorus and the congregation, underscored by a robust, contrapuntal organ part reminiscent of the introduction. Because the first four lines of text for this verse are linked,87 Calvert employed chromatic harmony to carefully avoid writing a cadence between any two lines. Not surprisingly considering the words, the final musical phrase and the last two lines of text are the climax of the piece, performed fortissimo. A brief cadential extension, again based on the third-last bar of the tune, brings the piece to a close with an effective touch of musical integration. Calvert left no hint as to the genesis of this composition, but it seems unlikely that it could have been performed anywhere other than in a Salvation Army Citadel where the congregation would know the hymn well enough to join the chorus for the final verse. The most logical assumption would seem to be that Calvert was asked to write this setting for the funeral of a Salvation Army member, another example of his continuing connection to his former church even though he was no longer a practising Salvationist.88 Calvert’s setting stands well on its own. The harmonic progression through the verses from relative simplicity to complexity creates long-range momentum, and the use of a single motive from the tune as a unifying element is effective. Although unlikely to be performed outside of the Salvation Army, this setting is a fine addition to that organization’s choral repertoire. During his time in Barrie, Calvert worked with the most accomplished high school ensemble of his career and had many of his greatest successes. He expanded his spiritual activities to include liturgies beyond his previous experience. And his compositional endeavours also broadened out in significant ways. While prior to this time he had written primarily for his church, many of his brass band works were known and performed well beyond the Salvation Army. By the time of his retirement, he had developed a considerable reputation provincially, nationally, and internationally as composer, although, as will be seen, his standing was not such that he could sustain himself through creative activities alone.

5 Retirement: 1986 – 1991 Calvert retired from Barrie Central Collegiate at the end of December 1985, citing health reasons. He was scheduled for open heart surgery in January 1986, to correct an aneurism that had been diagnosed a few months earlier, and felt it would be unfair to his students to be away for several months recuperating and then return late in the school year. He was, of course, convalescing for a considerable time after the surgery, but he was always engaged in physical activities. Six weeks after his operation, he went skiing with his son Eric.1 In truth, there were other considerations that probably influenced his decision. During the 1970s and 1980s, Barrie grew substantially, but most of the growth took place at the fringes of the city and did not benefit “inner-city” schools like Central. The demographics of the school’s catchment area were changing, with fewer students and fewer families who could financially subsidize the private lessons and numerous trips that had been important elements of the band’s unusually accomplished performance level. Calvert could probably predict that sustaining the traditions he had inherited at Central would become increasingly more challenging. He hinted at such concerns in an interview with the Barrie Banner in January 1986 when he observed that he was retiring at a good time because teaching had changed, and teenagers were facing problems they would not have faced in previous decades. He accepted retirement with no regrets. “I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly,” he commented. “But there have been a lot of things that I have been wanting to do and that people have been asking me to do, and I didn’t have the time because I’ve been working for a living.” He also recalled “with a sense of wonder” those times when he was able to just listen and enjoy his bands without needing to “keep things under control.”2

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It may be instructive that the band he took to the Kerkrade Festival in 1985, at forty-eight members,3 was considerably smaller than that of the 1981 trip, at eighty-seven members,4 and secured a silver rather than a gold award. He recognized that the band was disappointed in its showing, but pointed out that the Central band had, somewhat arrogantly he thought, expected to always receive the highest standing in competitions – and Kerkrade was not a school band festival but one where the Barrie students were the youngest competitors. “Not even the Edmonton Oilers win every game,” he observed with a smile.5 Also, in February 1985, the band had competed in the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, and while it placed first in the Canadian Composers Class, playing Robert McMullen’s Prairie Sketches, the Challenge Class was won by North Toronto Collegiate, one of the rare occasions when Barrie Central did not place first in this prestigious class.6 Additionally, Calvert’s marriage to Olga was in trouble. They officially separated 29 September 1986,7 and their divorce was finalized 29 June 1990.8 He moved out of the family home in September 1986 and lived with friends in Barrie for several months prior to relocating to Guelph9 in February 1987. The choice of Guelph was, of course, not coincidental. His family had strong roots in the city, many of his relatives still lived there, and he had pleasant memories of spending summers there with his extended family while growing up. However, the move did not immediately end his activities in Barrie. He continued to conduct the King Edward Choir until the end of their 1987 season in May.10 When Calvert retired, he intended to dedicate his time to composition, guest conducting, adjudicating, and presenting workshops.11 After his relocation to Guelph, he did find engagements in most of these areas, but quickly realized that the remuneration he could expect was not sufficient to support him and his responsibilities to his family. After thirty-five years of teaching in schools, he had no interest in returning to secondary education and applied for employment with the Canada Council, Canadian Music Centre, Ontario Ministry of Education, Ontario Arts Council, rCMP Band, Hamilton Civic Concert Choir, various churches as organist/choir director, and other organizations.12 By May 1987, only two months after relocating, he had been hired as organist/choir director at Wesley United Church in Cambridge, Ontario; however, after a relatively short time, he accepted the same position at St Mark’s Lutheran Church in Kitchener, Ontario, which he held until January 1990.13 During that same time, he was also appointed

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conductor of the Hamilton Civic Choral Society Choir,14 although his tenure with the group was rather short-lived. Unfortunately, it ceased operations at the end of their 1988–89 season, but as will be seen, his appointment with it had an important impact on his life. His professional engagements also took him farther afield. When the Weston Silver Band, Toronto, needed a conductor in 1989, Graham Young, cornetist and board member, asked Calvert to assume the post.15 Living in Guelph and feeling isolated from the musical world, Calvert accepted, and held the position until his death in 1991.16 At the same time, a number of guest conducting opportunities came his way. In the fall of 1989, he led the Hannaford Street Silver Band, Toronto’s professional brass band, in a series of concerts in and around Toronto. A concert billed “Music of North America” was performed on 21 October in Collingwood, Ontario, on 22 October in Toronto at the Jane Mallett Theatre, and subsequently in Cornwall, Ontario.17 He also conducted Symphony Hamilton, the city’s community orchestra, in one of his rare appearances with an orchestra.18 The program he selected was challenging: Wagner’s Die Meistersinger Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Concerto for Violin (with Martin Beaver as soloist), and Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov’s Symphony No. 1.19 According to the Hamilton Spectator, the performance demonstrated that “he had done excellent work in rehearsals.”20 In April 1990, Calvert was invited to guest conduct the Wellington Winds, a fine community band in Kitchener, Ontario, in two concerts that included his Romantic Variations and Suite on Canadian Folk Songs.21 Engagements adjudicating at music festivals also materialized. He was part of the Kiwanis Music Festival circuit, judging primarily in Ontario.22 The Kiwanis Music Festival began in Toronto in 1944 and quickly expanded across the country. Based on the British model, these festivals publish graded syllabi that define various levels of classes, set test pieces, and rank all performers. Adjudicators are respected members of the community or can be drawn from other communities or provinces or from outside the country. The Kiwanis model has been criticized by music educators as being inappropriate for students who are taught in classes rather than by private teachers, but there can be no doubt that these festivals have done much to raise performance standards in all regions of Canada. A newer approach is MusicFest Canada, which is modelled on American state festivals and is generally considered more educationally constructive for ensemble competition.

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Festivals are scheduled in every region, and the best performers are invited to a national competition. Each group plays two or three works selected from a graded list at each performance level and is evaluated by two or three adjudicators, one of whom subsequently presents a short workshop with each competitor. Groups are rated on a gold, silver, and bronze scale so are not in direct competition with others in their class.23 Calvert was superbly qualified as an adjudicator, but as anyone who worked closely with him can report, he was an exacting taskmaster, and his uncompromising observations often did not endear him to teachers and performers. That said, Calvert probably found the invitation to adjudicate the North American Brass Band Association Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 6–7 April 1990, the most gratifying of these opportunities. The champion Brass Band of Columbus gave an outstanding performance of his Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, about which Calvert said: “A tip-top performance – would rank with the best anywhere. Never have I heard it played any better.”24 During his time at the championships, Calvert also presented a clinic “Scoring for Brass Band” at Duquesne University’s School of Music.25 At the time of his retirement, his personal life was again in a fraught state. His divorce from Olga was arduous, requiring considerable legal wrangling over several years, and without full-time employment, he had difficulty meeting his financial obligations. He was also anxious to maintain a close connection with Christine, his young daughter, and drove to Barrie every Tuesday to spend the day with her.26 As always, he tried to keep busy with professional pursuits and to stay physically active by golfing in the summer and skiing in the winter.27 According to Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, he was happy living in Guelph and was finally getting help with his lifelong struggle with depression.28 He also reconciled with his first family. In 1986, his parents celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary and the entire family gathered in Montreal to mark the occasion.29 Grace Calvert said that while their meeting was awkward, they decided to focus on the many good times they had had together rather than the difficulties, and that the overall event was enjoyable for everyone.30 However, the most transformative event in his new life occurred early in 1989 in the context of the Hamilton Civic Choral Society Choir. Florence Elliott had graduated from McGill University with a bachelor of music in vocal performance. After completing her degree, she

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decided not to teach music, believing she could have a greater impact on children as a classroom teacher rather than seeing them a few hours a week in a music class. She married a classmate, Christopher Lewis, and moved to Hamilton, Ontario, in 1977 because her husband was working on a PhD in music theory at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, and Hamilton was a closer commute than Montreal. Also, Hamilton had a French Immersion program in the elementary schools, and being fluent in French, she was able to secure a teaching position. After finishing his degree, Christopher was appointed to a faculty position at the University of Western Ontario, and following the family move to London, Ontario, Florence inaugurated a French Immersion program in the city’s schools. Subsequently, they moved to Edmonton where Christopher had been hired into a tenure-track position by the University of Alberta. Florence returned to Hamilton in 1988 with her daughter, Eileen, after their marriage ended31 and resumed teaching in the French Immersion program. A friend, who knew she was a trained singer, encouraged her to join the Hamilton Civic Choral Society Choir, pointing out that the conductor, Morley Calvert, was very well known. Florence had never heard of him, despite having been a student at McGill University when Calvert was teaching music education courses there. She finally joined the choir in January 1989, but it disbanded at the end of the season. She and Calvert began seeing each other during the summer of 1989. Calvert was concerned about the difference in their ages, but Florence assured him that at age forty she was fully capable of making her own decisions, and said: “When I’m fifty and you’re seventy-one, maybe I’ll be able to keep up with you!” He moved to Hamilton in the spring of 1990, and they were married in July 1990.32 Calvert was always a very busy person. In Hamilton, in addition to his ongoing work with the Weston Silver Band, he secured the position of organist/choir director at St Stephen-on-the-Mount Anglican Church in August 1990 and taught harmony and analysis at Mohawk College from the 1989–90 academic year until his death. He continued his hobbies – reading, assembling complex puzzles, etc. – but he also enjoyed spending time with Florence’s daughter, Eileen, who was six when they were married. He had long been interested in painting. He took courses in watercolour at the Dundas Valley School of Art and painted a watercolour for each of his three children. He also continued to work in oils. His extant works show an excellent understanding of

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perspective and an impressive ability to match colour to mood. And he could be impulsive. Florence remembered occasions when she would arrive home from school on Friday, and he would abruptly suggest that they drive to Montreal for the weekend. He also began re-establishing contact with the Salvation Army. While he did not fully rejoin, and his Sundays were taken up with his church position, he began attending events at the Hamilton Citadel during the week, often with Florence and Eileen.33 In August 1991, Calvert spent three weeks in New Zealand, a country with which he had always been fascinated but which he had never had the opportunity to visit. In the spring of 1991, the Weston Silver Band played at an event in Toronto promoting British products and tourism, and a travel agency, which had a booth at the event, was offering reduced-fare flights to Commonwealth countries. Calvert saw this at an opportunity finally to visit New Zealand. Through the Salvation Army, he knew many people who lived there, so the main expense was the flight. He and Florence discussed the possibility of the three of them going, but even with the reduced fare for the flight, the trip would still be very expensive. Florence told him that if this was something that “would cheer your heart,” she was happy for him to go alone, and since she was still working full time, she wrote a cheque for the fare.34 Even with Florence’s generosity, the trip almost did not occur. Shortly before he was to depart, Olga and Christine had a car accident in Barrie and Christine was seriously injured. Fortunately, she responded well to treatment, and he and Olga decided that, since he could follow Christine’s recovery by phone, there was no reason for him to cancel the New Zealand trip. Calvert lent Olga his car for the time he was away,35 certainly a thoughtful gesture, especially considering the difficulties around their divorce. He arrived in Auckland on 2 August 1991. In a postcard sent to his son Eric, he commented: “I can tell you Economy Class is no way to fly for 19 hours!”36 Calvert’s activities while in New Zealand are unclear, but it can be assumed that, like always, he kept a busy schedule visiting friends, sightseeing, attending performances, and perhaps guest conducting. Although retirement from school teaching did provide opportunities to pursue other interests such as the long-awaited visit to New Zealand and guest conducting ensembles like the Hannaford Street Silver Band and Symphony Hamilton, Calvert continued to focus his compositional activity on his own choirs and, somewhat later, a

Retirement

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few commissions. In March 1986, he wrote settings of two hymns by Charles Wesley for choir and organ: “Soldiers of Christ, arise” and “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” Since he was still the organist/choir director at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Barrie at this time, these two settings were undoubtedly written for his own choir. Wesley died on 29 March 1788,37 and since 29 March was a Sunday in 1986, one wonders if these settings were intended as a special commemoration of Wesley’s death. Like most hymns, “Soldiers of Christ, arise” can be sung to several different tunes. Calvert, however, employed one of the most used melodies, “From Strength to Strength” by Edward W. Naylor, which appears in the Presbyterian, Anglican, and Salvation Army hymnbooks. Considering his background composing for and conducting bands, it is hardly surprising that Calvert would have been attracted to this particular tune with its military march–like dotted rhythms and square phrasing. And, of course, “warriors for Christ” is a common metaphor for the Salvation Army. The three verses are highly contrasted in style. Verse one employs the full choir in four-part harmony with, for the most part, a rhythmically disjunctive chordal organ accompaniment that allows the voices to be always in the forefront. Most of the harmony is tonal within G major, but stepwise inner voices do occasionally stretch the boundaries of the key. For example, an A diminished chord, which Calvert employs as a dominant in the G major tonality, is introduced in this verse and recurs frequently through the piece. A very brief organ interlude based

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on the opening motive of the tune presents one of this composer’s favourite progressions, a downward major third, in this case G major to E-flat major. At the second verse, Calvert divided the choir into women and men singing in unison; the women sing the first half of the tune, the men complete it. Throughout, the organ is reduced to quiet, sustained lines and a “walking bass,” which generates mostly diatonic harmony, with the inclusion of the A diminished chord functioning as it had previously, and other secondary dominant sonorities. The organ interlude that precedes the third verse is considerably longer than its earlier counterpart but is also based on the opening motive of the tune, developed imitatively. It explores the keys of G major, B major, and C minor before returning to G major for the final verse, and effectively increases the volume and the momentum leading into the final climactic stanza. Here, the four-part choral harmony is enriched by chromatic inflections, and the organ both doubles the voices and adds brief contrapuntal lines not in any choral part. Interestingly, Calvert modulated to D major in the middle of this verse and presented the first two bars of the tune in the organ as a descant against bars 5 and 6 in the chorus, an unexpected and imaginative touch. The work ends dramatically with fanfares in chorus and organ using the first bar of the tune, which is the principal integrating element of the piece. Calvert undoubtedly knew this hymn from the Salvation Army, and the organ writing, with its fanfares, imitated figures, and “walking bass,” looks like a band score.

5.2 Soldiers of Christ, arise, bars 52–56

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5.3 Jesus, Lover of My Soul, bars 5–20

Calvert’s setting of “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” is apparently completely original. This hymn, which appears in the Presbyterian, Anglican, and Salvation Army hymnbooks, is usually sung to the tune “Aberystwyth” by Joseph Parry, although the Salvation Army Song Book and the Anglican Hymn Book suggest other melodies as well.38 Calvert’s setting employs none of these tunes. He appears to have developed his own concept of this hymn directly from the text, creating a gentle, lyrical work that may be his most accomplished choral composition. His new melody matches the words well, and in both melody and harmony, Calvert rhymed the last phrases of the fourth (“While the tempest still is high”) and eighth line (“O receive my soul at last!”) of the verse. It is not clear why Calvert rhymed these two phrases since the words express opposing sentiments, but the rhyme persists in various alterations throughout the setting. One of the primary differences between Jesus, Lover of My Soul and the composer’s other choral works is in the writing for organ. In previously reviewed compositions, the organ doubles and/or enhances the choral parts; however, in this work, it does not play continuously but cues, supports, and sometimes imitates the singers, and presents descant figures while rarely doubling any vocal part. Calvert set four verses. A brief organ prelude creates the gentle mood, establishes the tonic (F major), and introduces Calvert’s new hymn tune. During the first verse, in four-part choral harmony, the accompaniment helps secure the pitch and supports and overlaps phrase endings. Brief moments of a cappella singing enrich the textural context and allow certain textual phrases, such as “Safe into the haven guide,”

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to be easily heard. The harmony is generally diatonic within the key but does not function strictly tonally. Because of the intensely contrapuntal organ writing, numerous added-note chords appear, including sonorities that are well outside the bounds of F major, and some lines in the organ create sharp dissonances against the voice parts. Throughout all of the verses, the key of the subdominant (B-flat major) is emphasized. Between each of the verses and at the end of the piece, Calvert inserted a distinctive organ interlude, based on the seventh bar of the hymn, which serves as a unifying element. Motives and harmonies from this interlude also appear in subsequent verses. The second and third verses are set for men and women respectively, singing Calvert’s original tune in unison. The organ part is constantly in motion, providing multiple contrapuntal strands that draw on motives from the tune but seldom double the voices. Each stanza is harmonized differently, but certain chords (an F augmented chord, for example) and a number of short contrapuntal lines recur from verse to verse. The interlude is recalled in each verse but not at the comparable place in the text. The interlude is extended sequentially before the final stanza, probably to allow the volume to increase in preparation for the first loud music of the composition. Three of the four phrases are sung at forte, supported by a contrapuntal accompaniment. The third phrase is sung in unison by the choir, apparently to emphasize the words “Thou of life the fountain art / Freely let me take of thee,” which Calvert seems to have considered the climax of the hymn. The fourth phrase is surprising in several ways. First, the organ is abruptly silenced at the words “Spring Thou up within my heart,” apparently another textual phrase that Calvert wanted to emphasize. Secondly, the work ends quietly – an unusual and intimate realization of the words “Rise to all eternity,” which would usually be expected to be climactic. This expansive, fluid composition presents some of Calvert’s most accomplished contrapuntal writing and is a unique conception of this fine, well-known hymn. Since choir and accompaniment are largely independent of each other, it is also perhaps the composer’s most challenging choral work. According to unpublished letters written by Calvert in the fall of 1986, this work was to be published by Frederick Harris Music Co. Unfortunately, representatives of the publisher can find no record of any publication, although they acknowledge that their archives for that period of time are incomplete.39

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Another of Calvert’s original settings of well-known hymn tunes is his composition Saviour, Like a Shepherd, written in August 1986. This hymn appears in the Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Salvation Army hymnbooks and is usually sung to its namesake tune “Saviour, Like a Shepherd.” The words are attributed to English hymnist Dorothy Thrupp (1779–1847), and the tune was written in 1859 by American William

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Bradbury (1816–1868), a protégé of Lowell Mason (1792–1872).40 Calvert’s tune bears no resemblance to that written by Bradbury. This work is a much simpler composition than Jesus, Lover of My Soul, although the two pieces do have aspects in common. Calvert’s setting is in four identical verses that are to be sung a cappella in fourpart harmony and mostly in unison rhythm. The only variation of the form occurs at the ending of the fourth verse, which is extended to ensure a strong cadence. Harmonically, the work displays similarities to Jesus, Lover of My Soul. It does not stray far from the tonic, F major, but includes the F augmented chord and the focus on B-flat major as a secondary key area observed in the earlier composition. It also presents a few surprising harmonic elements: a brief hint of A minor near the end of the second phrase and several instances of quartal/ quintal sonorities. Calvert added a poetic nuance at the words “Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus,” which are the same in all verses. At the first two words, the volume increases from piano to culminate on the first syllable of “Jesus,” then quickly diminishes. The repeat of the two-word phrase is similar but more ardent. The volume begins at mezzo-forte and climaxes, presumably at forte, at the same place in the phrase, then again promptly decreases. The crescendo/decrescendo draws attention to these words and especially emphasizes Christ’s name, but the composer made his shading more expressive by increasing the volume when the words repeat. Despite the noted harmonic colouring and the imaginative nuance, Saviour, Like a Shepherd is not among Calvert’s more inventive compositions. The verses present no contrast of texture and little variety of harmony and rhythm. It was likely written quickly, possibly for a special event at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Nonetheless, it does further demonstrate Calvert’s ability to imagine hymn tunes in novel ways and to provide his choirs with fresh approaches to well-known liturgical music. Another work, Little lamb, who made thee, a song for voice and organ that uses text from William Blake’s Songs of Innocence, is undated but probably from this time period. It is unusual in Calvert’s output because of its modal components. The piece opens with a descending Aeolian scale, the tune is Mixolydian, and the harmony swings between E-flat major and C minor. The two verses begin and end with the same music, creating a musically satisfying rhyme, while the middle sections of the verses are slightly altered melodically to accommodate the words and are harmonized differently. It seems likely that this song

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was intended for performance during a church service, but Calvert has provided no insight into the circumstances of its creation. One wonders if the composer was deliberately evoking music of an earlier time with his use of modality and the Picardy third in the last chord. The song has a rather childlike character with short phrases and overall simplicity in the setting of text. One of Calvert’s final completed compositions was A Congregational Eucharist, written for the choir and congregation of St Stephenon-the-Mount Anglican Church in Hamilton.41 According to Florence, Calvert was dissatisfied with the music available for services when a Eucharist was being celebrated and decided to compose his own, using texts from The Book of Alternative Services. His setting was well received by the choir and congregation at St Stephen’s and has been requested for use by a number of other Anglican churches, including Christ’s Church Cathedral in downtown Hamilton, as well as for important church events such as the consecration of Andrew Hutchison as the Anglican Primate of Canada in 2004.42 The work is comprised of most of the components of the Ordinary of the Mass (except for the Credo) and adds a few short sections specific to the celebration of Eucharist in the Anglican Church. There are two versions that employ slightly different texts. Calvert’s setting is homophonic in texture. The voice part is virtually always in unison43 and in the style of a hymn (one note of music for each syllable of text), presenting the words plainly, without ornamentation, probably because it was to be sung by both choir and congregation. The organ doubles the voices, provides the harmony, adds brief introductions and interludes, and contributes simple counterpoint that generates momentum. Harmonically, the work is largely functional within the notated key, F major, but occasional chromaticisms create secondary harmonies and progressions, and key areas related by thirds periodically generate surprising sonorities. This is notable especially in the Gloria, where the music modulates from the tonic (F major) to D minor at the words “only Son of God, Lord God,” through an unusual progression: B-flat major, F major, B diminished, F6/4, C major, A major, AV7, D minor. Later in the movement, a modulation to F minor is accomplished through a D-flat major chord, another example of Calvert’s penchant for relating the flattened sub-median to the tonic. Curiously, it is the fervent words “You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord” that are set in F minor. However, at the

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subsequent text, “You alone are the Most High Jesus Christ,” the music modulates to A-flat major. Perhaps Calvert inserted the segment in F minor to give the culminating words in the major key more impact. Certainly, the change of mode, and succeeding modulation to a major key unrelated to the tonic (F major), contributes considerable drama to these textual phrases. Also, within this movement and throughout the work, a G minor seventh chord substitutes for the dominant. The ii7–I cadential progression sounds modal, perhaps a deliberate evocation of early church music. In the brief Kyrie, Calvert makes especially effective use of poignant suspensions. The tonal harmony also frequently clashes against pedal points, particularly at the beginning of the movement but, to a lesser degree, later as well. These dissonances support the text – an individual pleading for God’s mercy. Pedal points also feature prominently in the succinct Sanctus and Benedictus, although they function somewhat differently than they had in the Kyrie. The opening four bars of the Sanctus (more than one-third of the movement) presents two repeated chords, F major and GV7, over a tonic pedal (F). Similarly, the beginning half of the Benedictus is comprised of a tonic pedal and alternating F major and B-flat major chords. The effect of these passages is to create the sensation of the music standing still, perhaps an invocation to earnestly consider the words of these prayers. The music of the Agnus Dei is propelled by scalic lines in the organ. At the first statement of the words “you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us,” Calvert again incorporated expressive suspensions that add eloquence to the setting of text. A Congregational Eucharist is a simple but effective work. Essentially a short mass, it is an excellent illustration of Calvert as a practical musician, providing a work to fill a particular gap in the available musical literature, but at the same time creating a composition that has had a life beyond its original intention. In early 1989, Calvert was commissioned by the Central Band of the Canadian Forces, based in Ottawa, for an overture that could be used to open concerts. The commission had several unusual conditions. Since the band wanted the piece to be distinctive, it required that the composer include aurally-recognizable references to The Royal Air Force (Royal Canadian Air Force) March Past, the Dam Busters March, and the Airman’s Prayer.44 Additionally, the Central Band at this time maintained a large string ensemble and requested that the work be

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written so that it could be performed by the band alone or with band and strings combined.45 Calvert solved this complication by doubling woodwind parts, mostly clarinet and saxophone, in the strings, who never play alone but do add particularized colours, such as pizzicato and tremolo, from time to time. Not all composers would have accepted such requirements, but Calvert appears to have embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, probably because he was inspired by the opportunity to write for the professional musicians of the Central Band. His Air Force Overture was completed in March and premiered by the Central Band on 22 May 1989 during the Guelph Spring Festival, with the composer conducting.46 The Canadian military was unified under a single command in 1968, eliminating the distinctions of army, navy, or air force. Unification may have improved the efficiency of military operations, but the discarding of the storied traditions of each of the forces generated considerable resentment among the enlisted people. By the 1980s, many of these older traditions began to be reintroduced. The Central Band had been an air force band prior to unification, and, since the compositions required by Calvert’s commission all refer to the air force, the new work was apparently an aspect of the restoration of established customs of earlier times. Since the thematic material was dictated by the commission, Calvert’s creativity in this composition lies in his setting of the melodies and in integrating the three unrelated tunes. The overture immediately seizes the attention of listeners with a sound cloud in the woodwinds that consists of multiple octaves of the pitch B-flat, alternating quickly with its diatonic upper neighbour (C). To this pulsating background, Calvert added the opening trumpet call of The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past, followed immediately by an altered version of the initial two bars of the first strain of the march in horns and euphonium. These four bars are repeated but transposed up a major third. In the two-part transition that follows, scalic clarinet sweeps are accompanied by a series of seventh chords, while the bass line descends chromatically and anticipates the chord changes by a beat, generating immense energy, which is supported by a long crescendo. This texture gives way to a unison clarinet melodic idea in running sixteenth notes with sustained cluster harmony and fanfare figures that execute a gradual diminuendo. In the first fourteen bars of his overture, Calvert has commanded the attention of listeners, introduced motives from one of

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5.5A

The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past, bars 1–8 (melody only)

5.5B

Air Force Overture, bars 1–4

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the required tunes, established the harmonic context, and set the stage for the next melody through a dramatic crescendo/decrescendo. A complete statement of the first strain of the Dam Busters March appears at bar 15. Calvert altered the scoring for each of the four periods of the sixteen-bar melody. Initially the tune is presented by trumpets and saxophones accompanied by a walking bass, occasional sweeps in clarinets, and syncopated fanfare figures in horns. To ensure that the music would not fall into two-bar phrases, the dotted-note motives in bars 2 and 4 of the melody are echoed by trombones.

Retirement

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Air Force Overture, bars 15–17

At the second period, the melody is transferred to high woodwinds with a similar accompaniment. The third period is virtually identical to the first with some thickening of the texture and alteration of the harmony in preparation for the final period. The melody is again in the woodwinds for the fourth period but with a homophonic accompaniment by the full ensemble, consisting of short chords separated by rests, which is an unusual texture in this work and foregrounds the melody. The ensuing twelve-bar transition contrasts strongly with all preceding music. The tempo gradually becomes more leisurely, and the texture is reduced initially to an imitative segment that employs a fragment of the previous tune and is scored for saxophones alone. It is then further reduced to canonic solo lines that migrate through trumpet, euphonium, saxophones, and flutes, and are based on the rising scale from last bars of the melody. An affecting double upper neighbour decorates the cadence to the new key, F major, a nuance initially employed in the composer’s earliest compositions.

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This transitional section provides a striking and agreeable repose within the energetic music surrounding it. It also seems perfectly placed considering that Calvert was about to introduce the lyrical second strain of the Dam Busters March and develop it to considerable length in gradually accumulating textures. Reducing the texture, slowing the tempo, and changing to a more lyrical style created an effective transition from the spritely music of the first strain to the upcoming more reflective theme. The new melody is again sixteen bars long but in two, instead of four, periods. It is usually performed at about the same tempo as the first strain, but Calvert apparently heard it differently, choosing to reduce

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Air Force Overture, bars 44–59

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223

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Retirement

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the tempo by about one quarter (from quarter note = 128 to quarter note = 84). Clarinets and euphonium present the first period supported only by flutes and oboes, who contribute a sustained chordal accompaniment, a continuation of the reduced texture of the transition. At the second period, the melody is transferred to high woodwinds, and the texture is considerably more active with a countermelody in second clarinet and alto saxophones, and short rising chromatic lines in the middle and low voices that may be drawn from the tune but constitute

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a Calvert compositional fingerprint and are the beginning of a long textural accumulation. Unlike the setting of the first strain of the Dam Busters March, Calvert repeated the second strain with a new accompaniment (see example 5.9). The melody is again entrusted to clarinets and euphonium for its initial period; however, the tranquil woodwind accompaniments are replaced by seventh and other added-note harmonies set in driving military-style rhythms in horns, trombones, and percussion and by a bass line that constitutes a countermelody to the theme but conforms to the rhythms of the other accompanying instruments. Momentum is substantially enhanced, and the texture continues to accumulate. In the second phrase of this period, Calvert added a brief canon in the high woodwinds against the melody, another effective textural device. At the second period of this melody, Calvert again added to the texture. Two trumpets double the melody, and the horns recall the chromatic clarinet/saxophone countermelody that had appeared at this same point in the first statement of this theme. The second phrase of this period is truncated by two bars to form a fourteen-bar elision into a second transition in phrases of four, four, and six bars. The phrase is based on melodic fragments from the opening bars of The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past that had first appeared at the beginning of the Overture: the trumpet call and the initial two bars of the first strain. To launch the transitional section, the first two bars of the initial strain of The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past are recalled and then developed in rising sequences, mostly in euphonium and trumpets, while simultaneously, the clarinets add rapid sweeps, and the low voices and percussion add fanfares at the ends of the bars. All these elements, plus a gradual increase in tempo, contribute intensified momentum. The 5.10 Air Force Overture, bars 82–84 (canon)

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A Life in Music

second phrase restates the trumpet call, and the low-voice fanfare figures are expanded to the full ensemble. The third phrase consists of a repeat and extension of the first transitional phrase; however, Calvert added a canonic development of the fourth bar of the second, lyrical strain of the Dam Busters March in the trombones and low trumpets, linking it to The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past. The expanded fanfares are sustained to maintain the gathering intensity (see example 5.10). This purpose of this well-designed and vigorous transition was to prepare for the climax of the work, the appearance of the Airman’s Prayer, presented as a richly harmonized brass chorale in A-flat major. Between each of the initial three phrases of the hymn, Calvert inserted scalic sweeps in clarinets and a remarkable fanfare in the horns that bears some aural connection to the dotted rhythmic figures of the first strain of the Dam Busters March but does not precisely repeat them. The two-part coda that follows again draws on motives from The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past. It begins by introducing, at a brisk tempo, 5.12A

The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past, bars 39–42 (trio)

5.12B Air Force Overture, bars 111–115

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Air Force Overture, bars 115–116 (horns and trombones)

Very slow

œ

Retirement

nnn -œœœœ b œœœœ ™™™™ n œ bœ ™ J

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5.14 Air Force Overture, bars 118–120

a new motive from the beginning of the trio of the march. This reference to the part of the march most loved by airmen was a clever addition to Calvert’s overture, especially since the scoring in unison high woodwinds ensured that it would be easily heard (see examples 5.12a and 5.12B ). At the second part of the coda, the tempo is abruptly reduced to “Very Slow,” and the trumpet call from the beginning of the march is morphed into an intriguing figure that includes smears in the horns and glissandos in the trombones (see example 5.13). The work concludes with a series of acciaccatura figures in trumpets, high woodwinds, and saxophones, a device first seen in Calvert’s early untitled march of 1945–46. A towering unison A-flat is the final sonority. Air Force Overture is a vigorous, compelling, and generally lighthearted composition that serves as an effective concert opener. Calvert’s experience in composing Selections and Meditations for the Salvation Army served him well when fulfilling a commission that required the use of pre-existing melodies. His familiarity with integrating such compositions using thematic motives drawn from the tunes as the basis of introductions, transitions, and codas unified this work and avoided any sense of fragmentation, despite the fact that the three requested themes have little in common musically. With its powerful fanfares, driving rhythms, and extensive use of percussion, this work is also a fine contribution to the extensive repertoire for military bands,

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although it is certainly appropriate for band performances of any kind. The Central Band of the Canadian Forces appears to have been pleased with the commission since they kept Calvert’s composition in their repertoire for some time and recorded it in 1994.47 While it remains unpublished, a full score and sketches are preserved in the Morley Calvert Fonds at McMaster University, and performance materials remain in the library of the Central Band in Ottawa. Later in 1989, Calvert received another instrumental commission. Joel Miller and the Orchestra Parents’ Association of Eastview Secondary School in Barrie, Ontario, requested an overture commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the school’s string program. This commission also had unusual components. Although it was to feature the strings, the commissioners wanted an opening fanfare for trumpets and drums, and since a group of wind players from Barrie North Collegiate would participate in the performance, parts for flutes, clarinet, and bassoon were also required. Calvert’s Dedication Overture was completed in January 1990 and scored for two flutes, clarinet, bassoon, three trumpets, timpani, percussion (snare drum, bass drum, tom-toms, cymbals), piano, and strings. Eastview School Orchestra performed it twice: on 5 May 1990 at the school and on 2 June 1990 at the dedication ceremony of the new Education Centre at Midhurst, Ontario.48 The school was very pleased with the work. At the time of Calvert’s death in 1991, Joel Miller reminisced about the commission and commented: “He did it just great. Barrie was lucky to have him.”49 The composition was not performed again until revived by the McMaster University Chamber Orchestra, Keith Kinder conducting, on 2 March 2014. Dedication Overture has three sections and coda linked by developmental transitions. The opening is an extended fanfare for trumpets and percussion; the first theme is derived from the fanfare and incorporates shifting meter and contrasts between strings and winds. Appropriately, considering the purpose of the work, the second theme is in the style of an English ceremonial march. Initially, it appears in low strings with a simple chordal accompaniment in the upper strings supported by percussion, but the texture is gradually thickened, leading to a climactic second statement in high strings and woodwinds accompanied by basses, trumpets, and percussion, with a countermelody in the cellos.

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5.15A

Dedication Overture, bars 1–5 (fanfare)

5.15B

Dedication Overture, bars 40–45 (first and second violin)

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5.16

Dedication Overture, bars 123–125

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The coda that follows recalls elements of all three sections; however, Calvert added a surprising hemiola in the concluding bars. Although probably not among Calvert’s most important compositions, Dedication Overture holds a place of significance in this composer’s oeuvre as one of his very few works for orchestra. Well integrated musically and suitably celebratory in character, Joel Miller felt that it fit its purpose admirably and appreciated the teaching opportunities that it afforded his students.50 A Congregational Eucharist and Dedication Overture were Calvert’s last completed compositions prior to his sudden death in early September 1991. Although no finished works date from 1991, a large collection of sketches indicate that his creative mind was continuously active. He also had a commission from the Salvation Army Eastern Territory in the United States for a sextet that was to be delivered in September and with which he presumably was occupied. Unfortunately, it is not possible to relate this commission to the extant sketches. It may also be instructive to note that during the years 1989–91 he was, as always, industriously engaged in teaching, directing his own ensemble, guest conducting other ensembles, and adjudicating. According to Florence, Calvert seemed tired when he returned from his trip to New Zealand in mid-August 1991. However, that was not especially unusual considering that he always maintained a jampacked schedule. On the evening of 5 September 1991, he and Florence were at choir practice at St Stephen-on-the-Mount. Driving home, he told her that he had had a brief moment of dizziness but that it had passed quickly. Calvert always had trouble sleeping; he often stayed up late into the night and, after his retirement, he would sleep well into the morning. On the morning of 6 September 1991, Florence was up early as usual getting Eileen and herself ready for school. She needed something in their bedroom and, when she went in, warned him to cover his eyes because she had to turn on the light. For no apparent reason, she felt something was wrong, and when she checked him, she could not find a pulse. At this point, in shock, she was not sure how to proceed and called some friends to ask if they could take Eileen to school because she thought Morley might have died. The friends called emergency services, who arrived quickly and confirmed that he had indeed died in his sleep. Ironically, the previous summer Grace Calvert’s father, who was quite old, had died in his sleep, and Calvert had

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commented to Florence that that was the best way to go. “Good for him [Morley]; not so good for the rest of us,” was Florence’s observation in reference to Calvert’s death. Calvert’s funeral took place at the Salvation Army Citadel in Hamilton on 9 September 1991. Florence had arranged for the Citadel to host the ceremony since there was now no organist at her church, St Stephen-on-the-Mount; she had no connections to another church; and despite Calvert having been estranged from the Salvation Army for more than twenty years, she felt his heart was still there as far as worship was concerned. She also appreciated the fervent manner with which Salvation Army congregations sing, and a good band was in place. Calvert’s setting of the Salvation Army hymn My life must be Christ’s broken bread was selected for performance at his funeral. Large numbers of brass players came forward wanting to participate, far more than Bandmaster Brian Burditt could accommodate, and the Citadel was full to overflowing. Florence and other members of Calvert’s family received numerous expressions of sympathy, and memorial concerts were performed by many organizations, such as the Barrie Central Collegiate Band, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, and the Weston Silver Band. Morley Calvert was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Guelph, Ontario.51

Postscript Calvert’s unexpected death at sixty-three shocked his family and surprised his large circle of friends. His life touched many people, either through the Salvation Army where he had acquaintances in many countries or via his numerous other contacts throughout the Canadian cultural landscape. Florence Calvert mentioned that when they visited London, UK, on their honeymoon, a Salvation Army event was taking place there and they were constantly encountering people who knew him.1 While many Salvationists probably did not approve of his complicated personal life, they did seem to continue to appreciate his contribution to the music of their church.2 Although Calvert was known to have a wry sense of humour,3 he did not have a stress-free life. Family members commented that he suffered from depression, which was probably the source of his difficulties sleeping and may also have been at the root of his need to always be busy. He freely admitted that he was “not the kind of person who thrives on relaxation.”4 According to his daughter, Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, it was only after he had retired from Barrie Central and moved to Guelph that he began receiving help with his long-term struggle with depression, although what that help might have been was not specified.5 Calvert was a perfectionist from an early age. In his 1945 diary he comments: “This year I’m going to strive for perfection in my piano playing no matter how little I learn at a time.” Further entries indicate that his piano teacher, Bandmaster Audoire, remarked on the improvements in his playing, which probably led to his decision to undertake an LrSM a few years later.6 Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor recalled that her mother bought him a set of oil paints, thinking that it would provide him with some relaxation. Instead, he got completely immersed

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in learning how to paint absolutely correctly and would sit up late into the night trying to perfect some aspect of an image.7 He maintained an interest in painting throughout his life and achieved a considerable level of accomplishment, especially in watercolour. Musicians who performed under his directorship commented on the precision and musicality he demanded of them, and even his high school students recognized the quality of his musicianship.8 Lisa Perry, band director at Barrie Central Collegiate and a former member of Calvert’s Barrie Central Band, observed that members of the band were always amazed at his ability to conduct and rehearse without a score.9 His memorization skills were formidable. Florence recalled him sitting quietly perusing a new score, and within a short while, he would have it memorized without singing or referring to the piano or other instrument.10 Calvert wanted to be known primarily as a composer but never had the opportunity to focus full time on composition. Throughout his life, he made his living working in demanding teaching positions and/ or as a community musician. Most Canadian composers have found themselves in a similar position. When Claude Champagne returned to Montreal in 1928 after intensive training in composition and performance in Paris, he immersed himself in teaching and in the preparation of materials to improve music teaching in Quebec and Canada, to the point that he had little time for composition until after his fiftieth birthday.11 As late as 1998, Louis Applebaum could report that only two composers were able to maintain a living strictly on the proceeds from their “serious” music – Harry Somers and Harry Freedman12 – and they were only able to achieve this status after substantial sacrifice. Early in his career, Harry Somers was faced with the question of how he could support himself and his wife and still be free to compose. Instead of pursuing a full-time job, he chose to keep his schedule open by working part-time to earn just enough to cover living expenses. For several months, he drove a taxi in Toronto.13 When Harry Freedman resigned his position as English hornist with the Toronto Symphony in 1971, he no longer had a regular salary at a time when arts funding had been radically reduced following the outpouring of grant money during the Centennial year. Additionally, his two daughters were entering post-secondary education, and his wife, Mary Morrison, had left her paid position with the Festival Singers to pursue a solo and chamber music career.14 Most composers accepted teaching positions in theory and composition departments at universities; while carrying extensive

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obligations, at least the positions came with the expectation that the instructor would continue to maintain a profile as a composer. In his position as a high school teacher, no one expected Calvert to compose; he had to carve out time around his responsibilities for creative activity. Not surprisingly, this did not provide the substantial amounts of free time that would allow the creation of extended compositions such as symphonies or concertos. Louis Applebaum faced a similar situation. He never held a university appointment, and throughout his career, he constantly tried to reduce his activities to provide opportunities to immerse himself in the creation of a large-scale work, without the strictures of the theatre, film scores, or television productions. Requests for “special needs” music, as required by theatre directors or film/television producers, constantly intervened. Applebaum’s considerable skills as an arts administrator were also in demand. Activities such as executive director of the Ontario Arts Council and co-chair of the Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee consumed countless hours of meetings, reports, and consultations. Approaching his death, Applebaum, like Calvert, wanted to be known primarily as a composer, but despite his very large oeuvre, little of his music is appropriate for concert performance.15 Coincidentally, another important Canadian musician began his career as a high school teacher. Esteemed choral conductor Elmer Iseler taught at York Memorial Collegiate Institute and Northview Heights in the Greater Toronto Area where, like Calvert, his students were well aware of his musicianship. However, Iseler was able, through a resolute commitment to a long-range vision and a few fortuitous opportunities, to ultimately enter fully into the professional world. In 1954, he was invited to conduct a group of excellent singers who were attempting to establish a chamber choir that would be capable of performing demanding repertoire at the highest professional level. A remarkable opportunity presented itself almost immediately. Louis Applebaum, who was organizing a music component for the Stratford Shakespearean Festival and needed an accomplished orchestra and chorus, attended a rehearsal, engaged the choir for the upcoming 1955 Festival, and the Festival Singers were born. Performances at Stratford and on CBC Radio continued apace, but it took considerable time for the choir to become fully professional. In 1962, Igor Stravinsky arrived in Toronto to perform and record some of his choral/orchestral music. He was captivated by the pure, carefully tuned, and balanced sound of

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the Festival Singers and returned in 1963 and 1964, publicly declaring that no other choir in the world could perform his works as capably. This endorsement from the most famous living composer provided immense impetus for the choir to embrace professionalism, and in 1968, the Festival Singers became Canada’s first fully professional choir. However, in 1964, after the flurry of activity around the Stravinsky project, Iseler realized that he could not continue in his high school position and spearhead the drive to professionalism of the choir. As the vagaries of life would have it, the position of conductor of the venerable Toronto Mendelssohn Choir became available, Iseler was appointed, and the combined salaries of the two positions allowed him to resign his teaching position and become Canada’s first full-time choral conductor.16 Calvert did not follow Iseler’s trajectory into the professional world, apparently because his interests were elsewhere. He does not seem to have resented the fact that his work as a teacher took him away from composition. In an interview with the Examiner in 1980, he claimed that “teaching [was] his primary and great love in the professional field,” and noted that he composed as he had time, often late into the night after his family was asleep.17 Calvert composed at night because his busy teaching position left no free time during the day. Other composers deliberately used the night hours as a quiet time that allowed full concentration. In the early years of Jean Coulthard’s appointment at the University of British Columbia, she found nighttime “peaceful and seemed to agree with me perfectly. I would usually begin about 9:00 pm and continue into the small hours of the morning.”18 Harry Freedman realized that late at night he could bring intense concentration onto the effect he wanted to produce through moods, timbres, and textures without actually putting notes to paper.19 Whenever she was working on a new composition, S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté was totally committed to the creative process and would often work late into the night, then start again very early in the morning. During these periods, she sometimes was so exhausted that she would fall asleep in the midst of students’ lessons on piano or violin. She reported that on one occasion she nodded off when teaching her star pupil, pianist Deidre Irons, but woke up at her first mistake.20 It does appear, however, that the demands of Calvert’s various employments did at times prevent him from completing commissions. In May 1980, the Examiner reported that he had received commissions for a work for brass quintet and band from the United States Army

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Band, based in Washington, DC , and another for a work for saxophone and woodwind quintet from virtuoso saxophonist Paul Brodie (1934–2007) and the York Winds.21 No trace of either work appears to exist. Retired Bandmaster Brian Ring, who commissioned Canadian Folk Song Suite, observed that he had had to exert considerable pressure on Calvert to get the Suite finished so that his Earlscourt Citadel Band, Toronto, could perform it at the Salvation Army Congress in Toronto on 6–9 October 1967. In fact, only the first two movements were completed on time, and the Suite was not entirely finished until early in 1968.22 The challenges of balancing work with composition are perhaps best illustrated by Calvert’s struggle to complete An Occasional Suite, which had been commissioned by the Montreal Brass Quintet for performance at Expo 67 on 13 June 1967. Calvert finally finished the work on 4 June 1967, leaving the group very little time to rehearse this challenging work. Negotiating the demands on his time also meant that he often adapted existing works for new media as warranted by the demands of the situation, although generally he took full advantage of the possibilities provided by the new scorings, and sometimes considerably recomposed the music. The first movement of his widely popular brass quintet Suite from the Monteregian Hills was recast for brass band (and later, concert band) as the opening movement of Canadian Folk Song Suite (Suite on Canadian Folk Songs) with minimal adaptions. The last movement of the quintet reappeared as the second of the Two Canadian Christmas Carols for brass band with some considerable intensification of the counterpoint, but no new ideas.23 However, when the first movement of the brass band work Introduction, Elegy and Caprice was re-scored for concert band as Introduction and Scherzo, it was extended to almost double the length through repetition and the addition of a new forty-nine-bar section that developed and blended material from earlier in the piece. Calvert’s practice of reusing some of his music in different settings placed him in good company. J.S. Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi, among other composers, recast certain of their works for other media; more recently, composer Joseph Schwantner re-scored his large wind ensemble composition From a Dark Millennium as part of a chamber ensemble work, The Music of Amber. Like Calvert, these composers all faced time constraints imposed by multiple responsibilities that limited their opportunity to focus exclusively on creative endeavours.

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Calvert remarked that he “wrote best when I have a reason or commission” and observed that composition was always a “long, hard process” for him, 24 which may be the source of his difficulties completing projects. S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté once claimed that she felt “somehow frightened to start a new work.”25 That was not Calvert’s problem. His archive at McMaster University includes dozens of sketches of compositions that, in some cases, consist of only a few bars and, in other cases, such as an untitled concert band work, run to many pages of score. Not surprisingly, given that Calvert composed at the piano, these sketches usually are for piano or in short score with a few instrumental cues that sometimes indicate what final orchestration was intended. Conversely, the concert band work mentioned above is in full score, suggesting that a piano sketch existed previously and that the composition was nearing completion. The title page, if it ever existed, is missing, and Calvert left no clue as to why he abandoned the work after investing substantial effort. Calvert led a multi-faceted life as composer, conductor, and educator. His contribution to all these areas was substantial; however, his most enduring legacy is surely his compositional output. When asked for an appraisal of Calvert’s music, Brian Ring described it as introspective, meditative, and spiritual, and remarked that individuals respond to it in their own unique ways. He characterized the setting of She’s Like the Swallow as “transcendent,” but also observed that Calvert’s chromatically infused counterpoint presented challenges to performers, especially in terms of intonation. Ring compared Calvert to the British composer Wilfred Heaton (1918–2000),26 an apt comparison in several ways. Like Calvert, Heaton completed a Licentiate in piano performance while still a teenager: Calvert from the Royal School of Music, Heaton from the Royal Academy of Music. Heaton’s music for brass band was criticized by conductors who considered his orchestration too transparent to be effective in the medium. Heaton’s admirers countered that he never wrote an unnecessary note.27 Coincidently, Graham Young used the same phrase to describe Calvert’s music and asserted that Calvert held Heaton’s music in high regard.28 Cherney, quoting Canadian conductor Victor Feldbrill (b: 1924), makes the same claim for Harry Somers’s music – “no superfluous padding”29 – and according to Keillor, John Weinzweig, on the advice of his teacher Bernard Rogers (1893–1968), also adopted the same economy of means,30 thus placing Calvert in august company among Canadian composers.

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Sir Ernest MacMillan essentially ceased composing at age thirty-one. Schabas contends that had he continued writing, he could have served as a model for younger Canadian composers seeking “an escape from the typically British school of composition” since he was searching for “a middle road between British conservatism and the avant garde.”31 To some degree, Godfrey Ridout (1918–1994) accomplished this kind of link between the traditionalists and the modernists.32 Calvert never stopped composing, and unlike MacMillan, he, with composers such as Wilfred Heaton, helped to move the generally conservative brass band world toward accepting the musical developments of the twentieth century. While writing within the familiar forms common to the genre, he introduced evolving concepts of harmony, counterpoint, timbre, and texture as well as elements from jazz and popular music that have had a major influence on the medium. In more recent years, composers writing for brass band have progressed far beyond what was initiated by Calvert and his generation. In 1978, American composer Gunther Schuller (1925–2015) offered his definition of the “new classicism” of the twentieth century: “A ‘new classicism’ could take many forms and speak in many musical tongues … I see it not as a mere return to the past nor on the other hand a total abandonment of the skills and techniques we have acquired in the twentieth century, but rather a richer, more homogeneous balance of the old with the new, of the traditional with the experimental, of the expressive with the intellectual, of the need to communicate with the need to try the unheard, the unseen, the unproven.”33 By this definition, Calvert’s music clearly falls under the umbrella of the new classicism. It balances the old with the new and the expressive with the intellectual while embracing the need to communicate. It did not push into the unknown but did on occasion touch on the experimental. Communication was very important to Calvert, whether he was expressing spiritual principles as in his Salvation Army music, a deep sense of humanism as in his slow music, or excitement and vitality as in his fast music. Arts educator and pedagogue Eric Bloom (b: 1950), author of the popular book The Everyday Work of Art: Awakening the Extraordinary in Your Daily Life, opined: “Art is not about standing back or judging, having lots of intellectual things to say, and requiring lots of education to appreciate its difficulty and complexity. Rather, it is about engagement … knowing what it feels like to be part of the arts.”34 Calvert would certainly have agreed. He wanted his music to

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affect the lives of his listeners, make them more optimistic and assured about the future. While he undoubtedly valued the harmonic freedom granted him by the twentieth century, he had no interest in leaving his audience behind by exploring the fringes of the avant-garde. Calvert’s music has had its most profound impact on brass music, that written for both chamber ensemble and brass band. With the publication of more of his concert band works, they too are assuming more prominence. His substantial oeuvre of choral music, all still in manuscript, has yet to be explored. Now preserved in the Morley Calvert Fonds and Research Collection at McMaster University, much of his music is awaiting discovery by instrumental and choral conductors, researchers, and publishers. Ironically, he has achieved in death what he was unable to accomplish in life – to be known primarily as a composer.

PART TWO

Cataloguing a Life in Music

This listing is the first catalogue of Calvert’s works to be assembled. It was amassed using numerous sources, the most important being the composer’s published compositions and the autograph scores now held in the Morley Calvert Fonds at McMaster University. However, Calvert apparently did not preserve copies of all his manuscripts. Other works had to be located by following up on brief mentions either by individuals or in the press. For example, a reference to Dedication Overture appeared in the Examiner (Barrie, Ontario) at the time of Calvert’s death, but no one in his family had any knowledge of this piece. With Olga Calvert’s assistance, Joel Miller, the commissioner of the work, was located, and he revealed that when he retired from Eastview Secondary School in Barrie, he had taken the score and parts to the Overture with him because he was concerned that it would not be valued by his successors. Mr Miller has generously donated the work to McMaster University, where it is now preserved with Calvert’s other compositions. Not every work so identified has been tracked down. Articles in the War Cry, one of the journals of the Salvation Army, affirm the composition of a march, St James Citadel, for the Citadel in St James, Manitoba; a work for men’s choir, At the Cross there’s room, presumably for the men’s voices of the New York Staff Band; and another choral composition, Draw me nearer, for the Montreal Citadel. These works, and several others, have not been located, although they have been entered into the catalogue. With the publication of this study, perhaps other missing compositions will come to light. Because of these “lost” works and because Calvert was rather careless with his manuscripts – often, without further regard, passing on finished compositions to whoever was interested in performing them – it is not possible to assert with absolute confidence that this catalogue is entirely complete. Other works that were written for specific groups, events, or individuals, and which Calvert forgot about, may continue to emerge. However, based on available sources, it is believed that this listing is as comprehensive as is currently possible. The works are categorized by genre, beginning with brass band, since that is the area in which Calvert made his largest contribution. Within each genre, the works are listed chronologically, as accurately as possible since Calvert did not always date his manuscripts. Undated, published works are catalogued using the publication date. This particularly applies to compositions given to the Salvation Army since it appears that, in most cases, the composer did not have his manuscripts

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returned after publication. Undated, unpublished compositions are listed at the most logical position chronologically, based on handwriting and style. In dating certain of the works, mentions of performances and publications in the War Cry were especially helpful. Recordings, where they exist, are also included. As will be seen, the popular works have many listings, but the majority of Calvert’s compositions have never been recorded. Not all performances listed represent ideal presentations and some are out-of-print LP s. Fortunately, Regal Zonophone has recovered many old Salvation Army LP recordings and has made them available for listening through its website. While many of Calvert’s works for brass band and brass chamber ensembles are well known, this catalogue lists works in both categories that are obscure, either because they remain unpublished or have been neglected. It also seems likely that, even to Calvert’s admirers, his contributions to the concert band and choir repertories will be a pleasant surprise. Calvert’s main areas of activity were the brass band, concert band, choir, and brass chamber music genres. His offerings in other genres are limited. He also left a substantial number of efforts unfinished and produced a quantity of impressive arrangements of other composers’ music. It is hoped that this catalogue of his compositions will stimulate interest in those works that, to date, have languished in virtual obscurity.

Morley Calvert Catalogue of Works, January 2022 MCF–Mu

Morley Calvert Fonds–McMaster University

A . B R A S S BAND MUSI C 1 Title: Untitled [March] Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1946 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph manuscript copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Autograph score is dated 16 November 1945 and 21 January 1946. Probably written for the Montreal Citadel Band.

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2 Title: In His Name Scoring: Brass Band with percussion (sd, bd , Cym) Date of Composition: 1949 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, fair-copy score, set of manuscript parts, MCF – Mu, Box 1, File 6 No recordings Notes: Signed “Bandsman Morley Calvert, Montreal Citadel Band.” Autograph score has the following dates: score 10 May 1949, 21 August 1949; parts 27 September 1949. Calvert prepared a fair-copy in ink, apparently intending to submit it for publication. 3 Title: The Festive Season Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1950 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, Festival Series 244, 1959 Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) Recordings: The Festive Season, London (Ontario) Citadel Band of the Salvation Army, cond. J. Lam, wrC8 -7894, lcb -27, 2005; Christmas Presence, Salvation Army National Capital Band, cond. S. Bulla, The Salvation Army CrD 017, 1992 Notes: Autograph score is titled “Three Christmas Carols.” See B5 4 Title: March: Camp L’Achigan Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1951 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph full score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Score is dated June 1951. Lac L’Achigan was a Salvation Army camp in Quebec. Calvert served as music director in the summers of 1951, ’52, and ’53. 5 Title: My All Is on the Altar Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1951 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, Hymn Settings–General Series 1400 (2), 1954 Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy score and incomplete score, MCF –Mu , Box 3, File 5 Recordings: Lift Jesus High!, Impact Brass, cond. K. Bailey, World Replication Group, wrCB -8053, 2007; Essays for Brass, Vol. III, Yorkshire Building

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Society Band, cond. D. King, Polyphonic, qPrL 202D , n.d.; Vox DelectiVoice of the Beloved, Reading Central Band of the Salvation Army, cond. P. Mortlock, Chandos sps 331cd , 2014 Notes: Autograph score is dated 5 July 1951. 6 Title: Canada for God Scoring: SatB Chorus and Brass Band Date of Composition: 1952 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score and band parts, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Autograph score is dated 7 May 1952. Voice parts in the score have only a few words written in. Calvert conducted this work with a youth chorus of fifty members at the visit of the International Youth Secretary to Montreal in the early summer of 1952. It seems likely that this arrangement was prepared for that event (“Young People of Ottawa and Montreal Meet the International Youth Secretary,” The War Cry, No. 3528 [5 July 1952], 5). He conducted it again in the spring of 1953 at another youth council (“1953 Youth Councils Launched by Inspiring Series at Montreal Led by the Territorial Commander,” The War Cry, No. 3563 [7 March 1953], 9). See D2 7 Title: Irish Scoring: Brass Band No date of composition Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, General Series 1375, 1953 No manuscript No recordings Notes: Calvert’s first work to be published by the Salvation Army. 8 Title: For Our Transgressions Scoring: Brass Band with percussion (sd, bd , Cym) Date of Composition: 1952–55 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, General Series 1440, 1957 Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy score and parts, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 5 Recordings: Essays For Brass Vol. II, Yorkshire Building Society Band, cond. D. King, Polyphonic, qPrL 090D , 1997; The Sound of Britain, The Household Troops Band, cond. J. Mott, sp&s, sps165cd , 2002; Sweet By and By, Canadian Staff Band, cond. B. Burditt, Festival csbcd05 9217, 1992; Heritage Series Vol. 3: Music from the 1950s, International Staff Band, cond. S. Cobb, Chandos sps 286cd , 2011 Notes: Autograph score is dated May 1952–January 1955.

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9 Title: Walking with Jesus Scoring: Brass Band (reduced instrumentation) No date of composition Publication: Salvation Army in Canada, Canadian Brass Band Journal, 1955 No manuscript No recordings Notes: This publication was intended for use by Young People’s Bands or smaller Senior ensembles. 10 Title: The Junior Soldier Scoring: Brass Band (reduced instrumentation) No date of composition Publication: Salvation Army in Canada, Canadian Brass Band Journal, 1955 No manuscript No recordings Notes: This publication was intended for use by Young People’s Bands or smaller Senior ensembles. 11 Title: Selection – My Pilot’s Face Scoring: Brass Band (reduced instrumentation) No date of composition Publication: Salvation Army in Canada, Canadian Brass Band Journal, Book 2, 1958 No manuscript No recordings Notes: This publication was intended for use by Young People’s Bands or smaller Senior ensembles. 12 Title: The Sure Foundation Scoring: Brass Band No date of composition Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings 13 Title: Way of Salvation Scoring: Brass Band No date of composition Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, General Series 1500, 1961 No manuscript No recordings

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14 Title: Faith Victorious Scoring: Brass Band No date of composition Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, General Series 1514, 1962 No manuscript Recording: Digital Brass, New York Staff Band and Male Chorus, cond. D. Smith, Triumphonic trLPS 33, 1980 15 Title: St James Citadel (March) Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1962 Unpublished No manuscript No recordings Notes: Written for the 51st anniversary of the St James Citadel, St James, Manitoba, at the request of the commanding officer, Captain J. Takaberry, who was an old friend of Calvert. Performed twice by the band of St James Citadel in February and March 1962. Apparently lost. 16 Title: Nearer to the Cross Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1962 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, General Series 1554, 1965 No manuscript Recording: ISB Visit to Norway, International Staff Band, cond. B. Adams, Regal Zonophone FaLP1 , 1964 17 Title: Reckon on Me Scoring: Brass Band with percussion (sd, bd , Cym, Tri); cornet solo Date of Composition: 1963 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, General Series 1547, 1965 Manuscript: Two copies of autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 3 No recordings Notes: First page of score has the date November 1962, but the title page says June 1963. Score contains the words of the hymn written by Bandsman Bruce, tune by Sergt. Maj. Johnson, Musical Salvationist XvIII , p. 80. 18 Title: Camp-O’Wood (March) Scoring: Brass Band (reduced instrumentation) Date of Composition: 1966 Unpublished

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Manuscript: Autograph manuscript copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Autograph score is dated 15 July 1966. “Camp O’ Wood” was a Salvation Army camp at Oracle, Arizona. Calvert taught there during the summers of 1963–66. 19 Title: Chanson Melancolique Scoring: Brass Band No date of composition Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 3, File 2 No recordings Notes: Slow second movement from the brass quintet, Suite from the Monteregian Hills, re-scored for brass band. This movement has “II” in front of the title, perhaps suggesting that Calvert considered including it when he transcribed the first movement of the quintet as the opening movement of Canadian Folk Song Suite (Suite on Canadian Folk Songs). See C4, H8 20 Title: Canadian Folk Song Suite (Suite on Canadian Folk Songs) Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1967–68 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, Festival Series 331, 1970, title Canadian Folk Song Suite Manuscript: Autograph working copy score of movement one, titled Canadian Folk Song Suite; autograph score and pre-publication score and parts on rice paper, titled Suite on Canadian Folk Songs,, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 6 Recordings: The Hannaford Street Silver Band, Hannaford Street Silver Band, cond. S. Chenette, CBC Recording SMCD 5103, 1991; Origins, International Staff Band, cond. S. Cobb, Salvationist Publications & Products SPS202 , 2005; Faith, Enfield Citadel Band, cond. J. Corry, Chandos sps341cd , 2015; Pastoral, Herndon Band, cond. S. Cobb, Chandos SPS 121CD , 2007 Notes: See B1 21 Title: Two Canadian Christmas Carols Scoring: Brass Band with percussion (sd, bd , Cym, Tri) Date of Composition: 1968–69 Publication: Rosehill Music Publishing Company Ltd (now Winwood Music), 1983

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Manuscript: Autograph manuscript in the possession of Winwood Music; autograph copy of the full score and pre-publication parts on rice paper, dated 1968, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 3 Recordings: A Christmas Celebration, Amabile Youth Singers, London (Ontario) Citadel Band of the Salvation Army, World Records Group, wrC8-6893, sa-LCB 19CD, 1994; Christmas Presence, Salvation Army National Capital Band, cond. S. Bulla, The Salvation Army CrD 017, 1992; A Christmas Fanfare, Royal Scottish Orchestra Chorus, Murray International Whitburn Band, cond. C. Bell, P. Parkes, Abbey Recording Co., CDCa 923, 1991 Notes: Consists of arrangements of Jesous Ahatonhia and Il est né. Autograph manuscript has the date “December/68” and a completion date of “25 August/69” and is in full score. Published version is in condensed score. See B4, C6, D7, F1 22 Title: St Agnes Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1969 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, General Series 1786, 1985 Manuscript: Undated fair-copy score and autograph sketches dated “Jan. 1964,” MCF –mu, Box 2, File 12. Cassette tape dated 1969 in Calvert’s handwriting, MCF –mu, Box 6, File 11. No recordings 23 Title: Three Scottish Songs Scoring: Brass Band with percussion (sd, bd , Cym, Tri) Date of Composition: 1972 Publication: Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph full score and parts (incomplete), MCF –mu, Box 4, File 5 No recordings Notes: Score is dated 1972; parts are dated 1978. Consists of arrangements of Lewis Bridal Song, Uist Tramping Song, Westering Home. See B8 24 Title: Untitled (Passacaglia and Rondo or Elegy and Caprice) Scoring: Brass Band with percussion (Timp, Cym) Date of Composition: 1978? Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 1 No recordings

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Notes: Re-scoring of the Passacaglia and Rondo from An Occasional Suite. Rondo is unfinished – only the first sixteen bars. This score is also the autograph of the second and third movements of Introduction, Elegy and Caprice. See A25, B11, C5 25 Title: Introduction, Elegy and Caprice Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1977–78 Publication: R. Smith & Co. Ltd, n.d. Manuscript: Incomplete manuscript of the first movement, MCF –Mu ; manuscript of movement two and incomplete manuscript of movement three, MCF–mu, Box 4, File 1 Recording: Volcano, Black Dyke Mills Band, cond. P. Parkes, Chandos, CHaN 4522, 2005 Notes: Commissioned as the test piece for the 1978 European Brass Band Championship, London, UK. See A24, B11, C5 26 Title: Overture to a Joyous Occasion Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition: 1982 Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, Maple Leaf Brass Series 1, 2002 No manuscript No recordings Notes: Written for the London (Ontario) Citadel Band on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Salvation Army banding in Canada. B. C O N C ERT BAND MUSI C 1 Title: Suite on Canadian Folk Songs Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1967–68 Publication: Eighth Note Publications, 2006 Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy manuscript, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) Recordings: Innovare: A Celebration, University of Saskatchewan Wind Orchestra, cond. G. Gilllis, University of Saskatchewan, uSaSK 002, 2009; A Lakeshore Concert, L’harmonie concert Lakeshore Concert Band, cond. T. Talamantes, LCB 97001-2, 1997; Celebration, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Band, cond. Captn. David Jones, Attic Cassette, BLC 212, 1993

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Notes: Transcribed from the brass band original for the Lakeshore Concert Band. See A20, C4 2 Title: O Canada and God Save the Queen Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1967–71 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph full scores and sketches, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Arranged for the Lakeshore Concert Band. 3 Title: March Thameside Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1969 Publication: Eighth Note Publications, 2007 Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy manuscript and compositional sketches, MCF–Mu (uncatalogued) Recording: North Winds IV, University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble, cond. F. Linklater, uMwe 2013, 2013 Notes: Score carries the notation: “Dedicated to the Lakeshore Concert Band” and “London, December 1969.” 4 Title: Jesous Ahatonhia Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1971 Publication: Eighth Note Publications, Markham, 2011 Manuscript: Set of autograph manuscript parts, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 8 Recording: North Winds III, University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble, cond. F. Linklater, uMwe 2011, 2011 Notes: No extant autograph score. Transcribed from the orchestral version for the Lakeshore Concert Band and performed by them on 9 December 1971. Published under the title ’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime. See A21, C7, D7, F1 5 Title: Three Christmas Carols Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1973 Publication: Eighth Note Publications, Markham, 2008 Manuscript: Autograph score and parts, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 4 No recordings

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Notes: Includes Christ Was Born on Christmas Day, The Holly and the Ivy, and Good King Wenceslas. Re-scoring of the brass band work The Festive Season. Probably arranged for the Barrie Central Collegiate Band. See A3 6 Title: Overture: Barrie Collegiate Variety Show Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1973 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score and parts, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 14 No recordings Notes: Consists of an Overture; assembled using songs from Brigadoon, South Pacific, and Oklahoma as well as London Bridge is Falling Down, and a few other instrumental cues. 7 Title: Romantic Variations Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1975 Publication: Gordon V. Thompson, Toronto, 1979 Manuscript: Autograph score, published score and parts, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 4. Also a study score, G.V. Thompson, Box 1, File 15 Recording: Lilium: A Celebration, University of Saskatchewan Wind Ensemble, cond. G. Gillis, uSaSK 001, 2007. Notes: Commissioned for the Youth Band of Ontario through a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. 8 Title: Three Scottish Songs Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1972, arranged for concert band 1976 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy and parts (incomplete), MCF –mu, Box 2, File 5 No recordings Notes: Score has the notation “Concert Band arrangement commissioned by the Black Watch Association of Montreal.” Consists of arrangements of Lewis Bridal Song, Uist Tramping Song, and Westering Home. Re-scoring of the brass band original. See A23 9 Title: I’m Confessing That I Love You Scoring: Concert Band No date of composition

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Unpublished Manuscript: Score and set of autograph parts (missing bass clarinet and tuba), MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Appears to be an accompaniment, probably for a singer. 10 Title: Joy to the World Scoring: Concert Band No date of composition Unpublished Manuscript: Set of autograph parts and sketches, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 10 No recordings Notes: No extant autograph score. Simple, highly effective arrangement. 11 Title: Introduction and Scherzo Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1978 Publication: Eighth Note Publications, Markham, 2009 Manuscript: Autograph score and parts, MCF –mu, Box 3, Files 6, 7, and 8 No recordings Notes: Commissioned for the John Adaskin Project with funds from the Ontario Arts Council. Adapted from the first movement of Introduction, Elegy and Caprice. See A24, 25 12 Title: A Song for Our Time Scoring: SatB Chorus and Concert Band Date of Composition: 1979 Publication: Gordon V. Thompson, Toronto, 1980 Manuscript: Autograph full score, MCF –mu, Box 9, File 1 No recordings Notes: Commissioned by the Youth Band and Choir of Ontario with a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. Published score and two sets of published parts, MCF –mu, Box 2, Files 6 and 7. Set of published choral parts Box 2, File 8. Autograph fair-copy full score Box 9, File 1. Words by Dolores Pitcher. Performed at the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa in 1984. See D9, 10 13 Title: Air Force Overture Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: 1989

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Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph full score, working copy score, and sketches, MCF – mu, Box 3, File 1 Recording: Canada Remembers, Le Canada se souvient, Central Band of the Canadian Forces, cond. Major D. Bouchard, CD , Bandleader Military Recordings, BNa 5105, 1994 Notes: Commissioned by the Central Band of the Canadian Forces, Ottawa. Premiered 22 May 1989 at the Guelph Spring Festival, Central Band conducted by the composer. Score includes parts for an orchestral string section, which were required by the commission. String parts essentially double the clarinet and saxophone parts. C . CH A MBER MUSI C 1 Title: Cornet Trio Scoring: Three Cornets Date of Composition: 1945 Unpublished No manuscript No recordings Notes: Written in September 1945 and practiced at the Montreal Citadel. Apparently lost. 2 Title: Stand Firm Scoring: Trombone Quartet Date of Composition: 1950 Unpublished Manuscript: autograph score copy, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 2 No recordings Notes: Apparently submitted to Salvationist Publications but never published. Copy of the score returned to Grace Calvert in 1997 by Fred Creighton, who located it in the London, UK, Music Department files. (Letter from Fred Creighton to Grace Calvert, 9 November 1997.) 3 Title: Untitled Scoring: Flute and Piano Date of Composition: 1954 Unpublished Manuscript: MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings

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Notes: Neo-Baroque style. Only fourteen bars long. Probably a composition exercise. 4 Title: Suite from the Monteregian Hills Scoring: Brass Quintet Date of Composition: 1961–62 Publication: Montreal Brass Quintet Series, Montreal, 1968; Cee & Cee Music (Berandol Music, Toronto), 1976 Manuscript: Autograph working-copy score of the first movement dated February 1962, and score and parts of the first published edition (Montreal Brass Quintet Series 1968), MCF –mu, Box 2, File 2. Score and parts of the Cee & Cee Music (Berandol) edition 1976, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 3 Recordings: Virtuoso Brass, The Chicago Brass Quintet, Delos, De 1022, 1991; German Brass (Das Deutsche Blechbläserquintett), Audite, audit95 .01; City Center Brass Quintet, Chandos, CHaN 10017; Classical Brass, Eastern Brass Quintet, Klavier, KCD -11025; Dry Heat, Sonoran Brass Quintet, SBq ([email protected]); That’s a Plenty!, Carolina Brass, Summit Records DCD 352, 2002 Notes: Calvert’s best-known composition. Movement one of Suite from the Monteregian Hills was re-scored as the first movement of Canadian Folk Song Suite (Suite on Canadian Folk Songs) and the last movement, re-scored for brass band, was the second of Two Canadian Christmas Carols. The second movement was also transcribed for brass band but has never been published, and possibly never performed. Apparently only the third movement, Valse Ridicule, was not expanded to brass band scoring. Many recordings. See A20, B1 5 Title: An Occasional Suite Scoring: Brass Quintet Date of Composition: 1967 Publication: Montreal Brass Quintet Series, 1968; now published by Berandol Music, Toronto Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 13 No recordings Notes: Score was completed on 4 June 1967 and carries the notation: “This work was commissioned by the Montreal Brass Quintet with the collaboration of the Canadian Music Centre under a grant from the Centennial Commission for premiere performance during Canada’s 100th year of confederation on 13 June 1967, in the Canadian Pavilion at eXPo 67, Montreal, Canada.” See A24, A25

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6 Title: Jesous Ahatonhia Scoring: 3 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, baritone, tuba Date of Composition: December 1968 Publication: Eighth Note Publications, Markham, 2006 Manuscript: Two copies of the autograph manuscript (one incomplete), MCF–mu, Box 1, File 9 No recordings Notes: Written for performance on CBC Radio. Published under the title The Huron Indian Carol. See A21, B4, D7, F1 7 Title: Three Dance Impressions Scoring: Brass Quintet Date of Composition: 1978 Publication: Cee and Cee Music, 1979 (an imprint of Berandol Music) Manuscript: Two autograph scores and a set of autograph parts, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 8 Recordings: Brass Fest, Niagara Brass Ensemble, Echiquier Records, eCD 007, 2001; Escale, Laval University Brass Quintet, Atma Classique 1005, 2009 Notes: Commissioned for the Contemporary Music Showcase Association with funds from the Ontario Arts Council. Autograph score is dated “Dec/78.” D. CH O RAL MUSI C 1 Title: Joy, Freedom, Peace Scoring: Male quartet or Chorus Date of Composition: 1945 Unpublished No manuscript No recordings Notes: According to Calvert’s 1945 diary, this work was written for himself and three friends, and performed at the Montreal Citadel in September 1945. Subsequently performed by the male voices of the Montreal Citadel Band on 1 June 1947, 13 February 1949, and 28 May 1950 (“Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band Ends Its Season,” The Montreal Daily Star, 31 May 1947, 8; “Current Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band,” The Montreal Daily Star, 12 February 1949, 17; “Sunday Band Concert,” The Montreal Daily Star, 27 May 1950, 24). Apparently lost.

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2 Title: Canada for God Scoring: SatB Chorus and Brass Band Date of Composition: 1952 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score and band parts, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Autograph score is dated 7 May 1952. Voice parts in the score have few words written in. Calvert conducted this work with a youth chorus of fifty members at the visit of the International Youth Secretary to Montreal in the early summer of 1952. It seems likely that this arrangement was prepared for that event (“Young People of Ottawa and Montreal Meet the International Youth Secretary,” The War Cry, no. 3528 [5 July 1952], 5). He conducted it again in the spring of 1953 at another youth council (“1953 Youth Councils Launched by Inspiring Series at Montreal Led by the Territorial Commander,” The War Cry, no. 3563 [7 March 1953], 9). See A6 3 Title: What a Friend We Have in Jesus Scoring: SatB Chorus Date of Composition: June 1957 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 10 Recording: Sing to the Lord a New Song, The Huntsville [Australia] Salvation Army Singers, cond. R. Smart, eMI LP yPrX 2248 (www.regalzonophone. com.). Notes: This setting does not use the melody usually associated with this hymn. Unusually chromatic harmony. 4 Title: Draw Me Nearer Scoring: SatB Chorus Date of Composition: 1959 Unpublished No manuscript No recordings Notes: Performed at a grand concert celebrating the 75th year of the Montreal Citadel in the fall of 1959. According to The War Cry, this “arrangement showed the skill of this young composer” (“The Grand Climax: Chief of Staff Leads Finale of Montreal’s 75th Year,” The War Cry, no. 3916 [12 December 1959)], 9, 16). Apparently lost.

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5 Title: Aura Lee Scoring: Male Chorus Date of Composition: 1965 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 2 No recordings 6 Title: At the Cross there’s room Scoring: Male Chorus Date of Composition: 1965? Unpublished No manuscript No recordings Notes: Performed by the male chorus of the New York Staff Band in Massey Hall, Toronto, in May 1965, and in Athens, Pennsylvania, in April 1969. Apparently lost. 7 Title: Jesous Ahatonhia Scoring: SSaa Chorus and Piano Date of Composition: 1968–70 Unpublished Manuscript: Complete score with piano and two scores with choral parts only, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 7 No recordings Notes: One of the chorus-only scores is dated 1968; the other is dated 1970. The music is identical, but the handwriting between the two scores is different. The score with piano is dated 1970. See A21, B4, C6, F1 8 Title: It Is a Thing Most Wonderful (She’s Like the Swallow) Scoring: SatB Chorus Date of Composition: 1976? Publication: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, Tune Book (2015), No. 39 No manuscript Recording: On Reflection, The International Staff Songsters of the Salvation Army, cond. N. Bearcroft, Salvationist Publications and Supplies, LP SPS 049, 1986 (This recording can be heard at www.regalzonophone.com/ Albums/On-Reflection-International-staff-Songsters-1986.) Notes: Words by William Walsham How; music is the Newfoundland Folk Song She’s Like the Swallow.

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9 Title: A Song for Our Time Scoring: SatB Chorus and Piano Date of Composition: 1979? Publication: unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Probably written at the same time as the chorus/band version, which was commissioned for the Ontario Youth Band and Choir. This version may be the original sketch, or Calvert prepared it to assist choral directors in preparing for the performance with band. Words by Dolores Pitcher. See B12, C10 10 Title: A Song for Our Time Scoring: SatB Chorus and Concert Band Date of Composition: 1979 Publication: Gordon V. Thompson, Toronto, 1980 Manuscript: Autograph full score, MCF –mu, Box 9, File 1 No recordings Notes: Commissioned by the Youth Band and Choir of Ontario with a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. Published score and two sets of published parts, MCF –mu, Box 2, Files 6 and 7. Set of published choral parts, Box 2, File 8. Autograph fair-copy score, Box 9, File 1. Words by Dolores Pitcher. Performed at the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa in 1984. See B12, C9 11 Title: My Life Must Be Christ’s Broken Bread Scoring: SatB Chorus and Organ Date of Composition: August 1984 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Words by Albert Orsborn; tune by Louis Spohr. Performed at Calvert’s funeral 9 September 1991 at the Salvation Army Citadel, Hamilton, Ontario. 12 Title: Jesus, Lover of My Soul Scoring: SatB Chorus and Organ Date of Composition: March 1986 Unpublished Manuscript: Two copies of the autograph score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Words by Charles Wesley.

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13 Title: Soldiers of Christ, arise Scoring: SatB Chorus and Organ Date of Composition: March 1986 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Words by Charles Wesley; hymn tune “From Strength to Strength” by E.W. Naylor. 14 Title: Saviour, Like a Shepherd Scoring: SatB Chorus Date of Composition: August 1986 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 12 No recordings Notes: Words by Dorothy Thrupp. 15 Title: A Congregational Eucharist Scoring: Unison Chorus and Organ Date of Composition: 1990 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Written for the choir and congregation of St Stephen-on-theMount Anglican Church, Hamilton, Ontario, using texts from the Book of Alternative Services. Two versions using slightly different texts. E . VO C AL MUSI C 1 Title: Heavenly Father Scoring: Vocal Duet (with piano?) Date of Composition: mid-1940s? Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 12 No recordings Notes: Apparently intended for one female and one male singer. Accompaniment is missing. Handwriting suggests mid-1940s.

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2 Title: Coming Through the Rye and Londonderry Air Scoring: Voice and Piano Date of Composition: June 1950 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph manuscript, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 3 No recordings Notes: Dedicated to Grace Simpson. Curiously, the title page lists Believe Me If All Those Enduring Young Charms and Londonderry Air, but the songs included are as above. 3 Title: Thine Own To Be Scoring: Vocal Solo Date of Composition: early 1952? Unpublished Manuscript: Mimeographed score copy, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 12 No recordings Notes: Words by Grace Calvert; music by Morley Calvert. Written sometime after their marriage in January 1952, probably especially for Grace. Only sixteen bars long. 4 Title: A Litany Scoring: Voice and Piano Date of Composition: 1952 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Words by Phineas Fletcher (1582–1650). 5 Title: Little lamb, who made thee? Scoring: Voice and Organ Date of Composition: 1980s? Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Words by William Blake from Songs of Innocence. F. O R C H E ST RAL MUSI C 1 Title: Jesous Ahatonhia Scoring: Symphony Orchestra Date of Composition: 1970

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Publication: Eighth Note Publications, 2012 Manuscript: Autograph score, manuscript copy, and sketches, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Apparently written for a performance of Calvert’s music on the BBC . Calvert wanted to show the British that Canadian music history pre-dated the twentieth century. See A21, B4, C6, D7 2 Title: Dedication Overture Scoring: Orchestra (2 flutes, clarinet, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, percussion, piano, strings) Date of Composition: 1990 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score and parts, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Commissioned by the Eastview Secondary School Orchestra Parents’ Association and Joel Miller to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the string program. Performed twice by the Eastview School Orchestra, on 5 May and 2 June 1990. G. K E Y BOARD MUSI C 1 Title: Memories of Jackson’s Point Scoring: Piano Date of Composition: August 1944 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Dedicated to Miss Catherine Watt. Calvert’s earliest extant work. Score is missing the final page(s). 2 Title: Margaret Scoring: Organ No date of composition Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Setting of the hymn tune for organ alone. The tune appears in the hymn books of the Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. This setting could have been written as early as 1978 or as late as 1991.

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3 Title: Morle’s Melancholy Melody Scoring: Piano Date of Composition: April 1988 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Only sixteen bars long. H. U N FI NI SHED W ORK S, SK ETC HES, AND FR AGMENTS 1 Title: On the Sea No scoring Date of Composition: 1950? Unpublished Manuscript: Three-line working copy score with some instrumental cues, MCF–mu, Box 2, File 12 No recordings Notes: Apparently a sketch for a brass band work. Probably written during a sea voyage to and from England in July/August 1950. 2 Title: Just as I Am No scoring No date of composition Unpublished Manuscript: Two-line working copy piano score with some instrumental cues, brass band?, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 11 No recordings Notes: Probably a sketch for a brass band work. Note in score: “B-flat pitch.” 3 Title: Song Scoring: Voice (tenor) and Piano Date of Composition: 1952 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Words by Coleridge. Fourth verse is unfinished. 4 Title: Variations on a Given Theme Scoring: Woodwind Quintet

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Date of Composition: 1954 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph full-score working copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Theme and eight variations. Variation eight ends abruptly after four bars. Probably a composition exercise. See Variations on an Original Theme below. See H6 5 Title: Variations on an Original Theme Scoring: Piano Date of Composition: 1954 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph working copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Theme and eight variations. Variation eight ends abruptly after eight bars. Probably a composition exercise. Same music as Variations on a Given Theme above, probably the sketch for the woodwind quintet version. See H5 6 Title: Untitled Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition: Late 1960s or 1970s? Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph full-score working copy, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 12 No recordings Notes: Unfinished. 7 Title: Listen! You Nations Scoring: Organ Date of Composition: 1988–90 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Setting for organ of a Canticle from the Lutheran Church. Since Calvert was employed at St Mark’s Lutheran Church in Kitchener from 1988–90, this work must date from that time. Unfinished. 8 Title: Chanson Mélancolique Scoring: Orchestra Date of Composition: 1990–91?

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Unpublished Manuscript: sketch, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Re-scoring and considerable re-composition of Chanson Mélancolique from Suite from the Monteregian Hills. Possibly the initial work on a projected commission from Symphony Hamilton. Two-line piano score with instrumental cues. Unfinished. See A19, C4 I. AR R A N GEMENT S OF OT HER C O MPOS ER S’ MU S IC 1 Title: The Overture to the Roman Carnival Composer: Hector Berlioz Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1950? Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: In April 1950, the Montreal Citadel Band performed A Gem from Berlioz arranged by Calvert, which may have been this arrangement (“Band Concert Sunday,” The Montreal Daily Star, 29 April 1950, 14). 2 Title: Alleluia Composer: Randall Thompson Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1971? Unpublished Manuscript: Two autograph scores (one incomplete) and parts, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 1 No recordings Notes: Arranged for the Lakeshore Concert Band and performed on 4 November 1971. 3 Title: Morceau de Concert Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1972 Unpublished No manuscript No recordings

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Notes: This work, originally for solo horn with either piano or orchestra, is often performed by tubists. Calvert arranged the accompaniment for concert band for a performance by the Lakeshore Concert Band, 9 March 1972, with tubist Robert Ryker. Apparently lost. 4 Title: Ein Kindeleïn so löbelich Composer: Michael Praetorius Scoring: Double Chorus No date of composition/arrangement Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph manuscript, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: From Musae Sioniac, 1607. Transposed down a full tone from the original. Not all of the words are written in (no words appear in the second chorus), but the score has conductor’s markings, indicating that it was performed. 5 Title: Concert Etude (solo trumpet) Composer: Alexander Goedicke Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1974 Unpublished Manuscript: Two autograph scores, parts, and sketches, MCF –mu, Box 3, File 3 No recordings Notes: Last thirty-seven bars of the solo part are missing from one score. This arrangement appears to have been performed at least twice. The score has a notation: “Dane Booth on Concert Series April 74” and “Tim Watson – Concert Series Feb 78.” Probably written for performance by the Barrie Central Collegiate Band and selected soloists. See I6 6 Title: Concert Etude (solo cornet) Composer: Alexander Goedicke Scoring: Brass Band No date of composition Unpublished Manuscript: Working copy score, and three fair-copy autograph scores and parts, MCF –mu, Box 1, File 4 and Box 9, File 2 No recordings Notes: See I5

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7 Title: Concerto No. 1, Op. 11 for French Horn (1st movement) Composer: Richard Strauss Scoring: Concert Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1975 Unpublished Manuscript: Two copies of the autograph score, MCF –mu, Box 3 No recordings Notes: Probably written for performance by the Barrie Central Collegiate Band and selected soloist. 8 Title: Gypsy Rondo Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn Scoring: Xylophone Solo with Concert Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1977 Publication: Eighth Note Publications, 2009 Manuscript: Autograph score,, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Probably written for performance by the Barrie Central Collegiate Band and selected soloist. 9 Title: A Prayer of St Richard of Chichester Composer: L.J. White Scoring: Two-part Chorus and Organ No date of composition/arrangement Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: This copy has only the choral parts, but matches the version in Oxford Easy Anthems, Oxford University Press, 1947. This prayer was adapted into the song Day by Day from the musical Godspell (1971); music by Stephen Schwartz. 10 Title: Sleep, Holy Babe Composer: Richard E. Holz Scoring: SatB Chorus Date of Composition/Arrangement: November 1984 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph score copy, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings

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Notes: This work was already for unaccompanied chorus, and Calvert performed the original with the King Edward Choir, Barrie, Ontario, in November 1986. In his arrangement, Calvert maintained Holz’s melody and harmony, but rearranged the inner parts and removed a few instances of fivepart harmony. It is not clear why the rearranging was necessary. 11 Title: Kazachok Composer: Dargomijsky/Tchaikovsky Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1990 Unpublished Manuscript: Autograph fair-copy score, MCF –Mu (uncatalogued) No recordings Notes: Probably intended for the Weston Silver Band. Calvert was the group’s conductor at this time. J. U N FI NI SHED ARRANGEMENT S OF OTH ER C OMPOS ER S’ MUSIC 1 Title: Siegfried Idyll Composer: Richard Wagner/arr. M. Calvert Scoring: Brass Band Date of Composition/Arrangement: 1950 Unpublished Manuscript: Incomplete sketch, MCF –mu, Box 2, File 1 No recordings Notes: First twenty-eight bars. 2 Title: Prelude IV, Bk. 1: Well-Tempered Clavier Composer: J.S. Bach/arr. M. Calvert Scoring: Concert Band No date of composition/arrangement Unpublished Manuscript: Incomplete sketches, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 2 No recordings Notes: Three slightly different scores; none go beyond the first sixteen bars. 3 Title: Symphony No. 3 (first movement) Composer: Peter Illych Tchaikovsky/arr. M. Calvert

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Scoring: Concert Band No date of composition Unpublished Manuscript: Two autograph scores, both incomplete, plus other fragmentary material, MCF –mu, Box 4, File 7 No recordings Notes: Probably intended for the Barrie Central Collegiate Band.

List of Musical Examples I.1 Fantasia on “__________” 8 I.2 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 2, bars 5–14 10 I.3 Occasional Suite, Passacaglia, bars 1–10 11 I.4 Meditation, Near to the Cross, bars 15–31 12 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11a

Memories of Jackson’s Point, bar 1 20 Memories of Jackson’s Point, bars 25–28 20 [March], bars 5–12 23 [March], bars 13–20 24 [March], bars 32–39 25 Selection, In His Name, bars 1–3 30 Selection, In His Name, bars 11–12 30 Selection, In His Name, Golgotha’s Hill, bars 32–48 31 Selection, In His Name, In His Name, bars 65–96 32

Stand Like the Brave, Stand Firm, bars 9–32 58 Stand Like the Brave, Stand Firm, bars 36–38 59 Dare to Be a Daniel, Stand Firm, bars 67–69 60 Stand Up for Jesus, Stand Firm, bars 95–102 61 Irish, bars 22–36 63 Irish, bars 1–4 64 My All Is on the Altar, bars 33–34 65 My All Is on the Altar, bars 1–8 66 For Our Transgressions, bar 1–3 71 For Our Transgressions, bars 9–12 72 Out from His Wounded Side, For Our Transgressions (Part 1), bars 19–33 73 2.11B Out from His Wounded Side, For Our Transgressions (Part 2), bars 19–33 73 2.12 For Our Transgressions, bar 81 74

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2.13 For Our Transgressions, bars 82–85

75

2.14 For Our Transgressions, bars 98–106 76 2.15a For Our Transgressions, bars 9–11 78 2.15B For Our Transgressions, bars 9–11 78 2.16 What a Friend We Have in Jesus, bars 1–8 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12a 3.12B 3.13 3.14 3.15a 3.15B 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26a 3.26B

79

Nearer to the Cross, bars 15–30 82 Nearer to the Cross, bars 16–17 83 Nearer to the Cross, bars 60–61 85 Camp-O’Wood, bars 39–47 91 Camp-O’Wood, bars 29–36 91 “Marianne s’en va-t-au Moulin” 97 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 1, bars 72–73 98 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 1, bars 97–100 98 Un Canadien errant 99 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 2, bars 1–3 99 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 2, bars 4–5 100 A St Malo beau port de Mer 101 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 3, bars 13–26 101 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 3, bars 32–38 102 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 3, bars 48–54 102 Il est ne le divin enfant 104 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 4, bars 14–17 104 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 1, bars 1–8 108 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 2, bars 5–12 109 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 2, bars 23–31 109 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 2, bars 93–100 110 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 3, bars 1–10 111 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 1–18 113 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 19–21 113 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 53–55 114 Occasional Suite, Mvt. 4, bars 57–61 115 Canadian Folk Song Suite, Mvt. 1, bars 67–69 119 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, Mvt. 1, bars 110–112 119 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 1, bars 110–112 119 3.27 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 2, bars 9–25 122 3.28 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 2, bars 66–70 123 3.29 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 1–23 or 1–12 124

List of Musical Examples

3.30

273

3.46 3.47

Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 53–57 or 26–29 125 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 81–85 or 41–43 126 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 93–100 or 47–50 127 Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs), Mvt. 3, bars 134–145 or 68–73 129 Jesous Ahatonia 132 Jesous Ahatonia (choral version), bars 9–12 133 Jesous Ahatonia (choral version), bars 32–34 134 Jesous Ahatonia (choral version), bars 45–48 134 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 13–19 136 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 22–27 137 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 38–41 138 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bars 47–48 139 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble version), bar 5 140 Jesous Ahatonia (brass band version), bar 5 140 Jesous Ahatonia (orchestral version – trumpets only), bars 5–6 142 Jesous Ahatonia (orchestral version – double basses only), bars 27–30 142 Jesous Ahatonia (brass ensemble and brass band versions – horns), bars 2–3 143 Jesous Ahatonia (orchestral and concert band versions – clarinets), bars 2–3 143 Thameside, bars 1–2 145 Thameside, bars 49–64 145

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14

Overture to a Joyous Occasion, bars 1–6 158 Overture to a Joyous Occasion – Lift Up the Banner, bars 75–82 160 Overture to a Joyous Occasion – Monkland, bars 96–104 161 Three Scottish Songs – Lewis Bridal Song, bars 3–4 164 Three Scottish Songs – Uist Tramping Song, bars 40–43 166 Three Scottish Songs – Westering Home, bars 50–54 166 Three Scottish Songs – Westering Home, bars 68–76 167 Three Scottish Songs – Westering Home, bars 76–79 168 Romantic Variations – Theme, bars 1–24 171 Romantic Variations (Variation 1), bars 25–28 172 Romantic Variations (Variation 2), bars 49–56 172 Romantic Variations (Variation 2 – ending), bars 79–82 173 Romantic Variations (Variation 3), bars 84–99 174 Romantic Variations (Variation 4), bars 105–109 175

3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42a 3.42B 3.43 3.44 3.45a 3.45B

274

4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36a 4.36B 4.37 4.38 4.39 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5a 5.5B 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11a 5.11B

List of Musical Examples

Romantic Variations (Variation 5), bars 133–140 175 Romantic Variations (Variation 5), bars 150–156 176 Romantic Variations (Variation 5), bars 163–167 177 Romantic Variations (Variation 6), bars 189–190 178 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 1, bars 8–9 180 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 1, bars 15–26 181 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 1, bars 62–72 181 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 1, bars 111–127 182 Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, Mvt. 2, bars 61–66 184 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 1, bars 1–13 189 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 1, 102–103 190 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 2, bars 5–15 190 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 2, bars 41–44 191 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 2, bars 31–32 192 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 1–16 192 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 54–57 193 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 66–69 194 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 70–73 194 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 78–81 194 Three Dance Impressions, Mvt. 3, bars 102–105 195 A Song for Our Time, bars 8–11 198 A Song for Our Time (Part 1), bars 33–38 199 A Song for Our Time (Part 2), bars 33–38 199 A Song for Our Time, bars 85–86 201 Hymn Tune, Spohr, Band Tune Book, No. 97 203 My Life Must Be Christ’s Broken Bread, bars 1–8 203 Hymn Tune, Soldiers of Christ, Arise (From Strength to Strength), Band Tune Book, No. 585 211 Soldiers of Christ, Arise, bars 52–56 212 Jesus, Lover of My Soul, bars 5–20 213 Jesus, Lover of My Soul, bars 72–78 215 The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past, bars 1–8 220 Air Force Overture, bars 1–4 220 Air Force Overture, bars 15–17 221 Air Force Overture, bars 40–43 222 Air Force Overture, bars 44–59 222 Air Force Overture, bars 64–67 223 Air Force Overture, bars 82–84 224 Air Force Overture, bars 88–92 (Part 1) 225 Air Force Overture, bars 88–92 (Part 2) 225

List of Musical Examples

5.12a 5.12B 5.13 5.14 5.15a 5.15B 5.16

The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past, bars 39–42 Air Force Overture, bars 111–115 226 Air Force Overture, bars 115–116 226 Air Force Overture, bars 118–120 227 Dedication Overture, bars 1–5 229 Dedication Overture, bars 40–45 229 Dedication Overture, bars 123–125 229

226

275

Notes I NTRO D U CTION

1 Celebration, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Band, Captn. David Jones, cond., Attic Cassette, BLC 212, 1993; Innovare: A Celebration, University of Saskatchewan Wind Orchestra, G. Gillis, cond., University of Saskatchewan, uSaSK 002, 2009. 2 I considered my copies of score and parts to be legal since I approached Mr Calvert and asked for performing materials. He referred me to Dr Wayne Jeffries, then the wind ensemble director at the University of Western Ontario, who provided the materials with Calvert’s permission. 3 A very brief biography appears in the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada and in The Canadian Encyclopedia, and a similar biography is on the website of the Canadian Music Centre. A few articles on specific works also exist. 4 This contention might be challenged by Louis Applebaum’s Three Stratford Fanfares, written to call audiences to theatre performances at the Stratford Festival. It has been estimated that they have been played at least 18,000 times at Stratford alone and have also been frequently performed worldwide (Pitman, Applebaum, 101–2, 422). 5 Alison Merkel, “Calvert Composes Music to Give Hope to World,” The Examiner, 7 January 1980, 5. The music of J.S. Bach, particularly the “Contrapuncti” from Die Kunst der Fuge, transcribes particularly well for brass instruments and has long been a popular source of literature for brass quintets. Between 1888 and 1912, Russian composer and brass performer Victor Ewald (1860– 1935) wrote four brass quintets. These works constitute a significant part of the repertoire in Romantic style and are perennial favourites with brass quintets (Slonimsky, Baker’s Dictionary, 509). Johann Pezel (1639–1694) was a German Stadtpfeifer (town musician) who composed more than one hundred one-movement sonatas for two cornets and three trombones. These works display great imagination in textural/timbral variety despite the limited instrumentation (Sadie, Norton/Grove, 574). Pezel is considered to be the first

278

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27

28 29

Notes to pages 5–13

important composer to write brass quintets; his works are prized by brass players and are now played very frequently in transcriptions for the modern brass quintet. Kate Harries, “Calvert Wraps Up a Full and Rewarding Career,” Barrie Banner, 27 January 1986, 13. Keillor, Music in Canada, 217–18. Pitman, Applebaum, 130. Proctor, Canadian Music, 65. Pitman, Music Makers, 112, 191. Schabas, Sir Ernest MacMillan, 295–6. Pitman, Music Makers, 191–2. Keillor, Weinzeig, 172. Salzman, Twentieth-Century Music, 60–7. Schuller, Musings, 182–3. Watkins, Soundings, 645–6. Antokoletz, Twentieth-Century Music, 81. Simms, Style and Structure, 50. Graham Young, interview by author, Hamilton, 18 August 2016. Calvert’s sketches include a revision, for orchestra, of the Chanson Mélancolique from Suite from the Monteregian Hills. This may have been initial work on the projected orchestral suite for Symphony Hamilton. Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. The half-diminished seventh is one of the “mainstays of Wagner’s harmonic language” (Simms, Style and Structure, 53). This chord constitutes a verticalization of a pentatonic scale. It is unclear whether Calvert was aware of this linkage. The earliest version of this work is titled Canadian Folk Song Suite, but in all the subsequent autographs, Calvert titled the work Suite on Canadian Folk Songs. The brass band version was published under the title Canadian Folk Song Suite. When the concert band setting was finally published, it reverted to the original title, which, as will be seen, Calvert apparently preferred. Kinder, Healey Willan, 82, 133. Calvert re-scored the Passacaglia and Rondo from the brass quintet An Occasional Suite (1967) as the Elegy and Caprice of the brass band work Introduction, Elegy and Caprice (1978). His ten-note theme in the Passacaglia of An Occasional Suite and the Elegy of Introduction, Elegy and Caprice mentioned earlier comes closest to a tone row; however, the movement, while highly imitative, shows no indication of serialism. See, for example, Postcards from the Sky by Marjan Mozetich or American composer Jacob Druckman’s amazing Aureole. Bruneau/Duke, Jean Coulthard, 61, 78, 81, 105, 121, 124, 156.

Notes to pages 13–18

279

30 Alison Merkel, “Calvert Composes to Give Hope to World,” The Examiner, 7 January 1980, 5. 31 Bruneau/Duke, Jean Coulthard, 157. 32 Proctor, Canadian Music, 85–6. 33 Pitman, Applebaum, 9. 34 Keillor, Music in Canada, 260. 35 Alison Merkel, “Calvert Composes to Give Hope to World,” The Examiner, 7 January 1980, 5. 36 Ibid. C HAP TER O NE

1 Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15, 23. 2 Grace (Simpson) Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011; obituary of Thomas Frederick Calvert published in the bulletin of the Montreal Citadel of the Salvation Army, August 1994, and “Promoted to Glory,” The War Cry, no. 4251 (14 May 1966), 10. 3 Jeff Gowan, “Calvert Named to Bandmaster Association,” Barrie Banner, 6 June 1980, 5. At this time, women generally were not encouraged to play in Salvation Army bands in Canada (“Salvationist Bandmaster on ‘701,’” The War Cry, no. 4050 [7 July 1962], 4), despite a long history of women’s bands. For example, there was a women’s Salvation Army band in Ontario by 1893 (Patterson, Tradition and Change, 3), and women brass players are recorded as early as 1880, essentially right from the beginning of music in Salvation Army activities (Boon, Play the Music, 15). 4 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. 5 Mike Garratty, “Central Bids Fond Farewell to the Leader of the Band,” The Examiner, 16 January 1986, 3. 6 Jean Norman Audoire was born on the British channel island of Alderney in 1896, the son of Salvation Army officers. He served with distinction during the First World War and emigrated to Canada in 1925. Initially, he was appointed bandmaster of the Earlscourt Citadel Band in Toronto but moved to Montreal and was commissioned bandmaster at the Montreal Citadel on 1 January 1930. Over the next three decades, he developed that band into one of the largest and most accomplished corps bands in North America. A well-trained musician, he held a Licentiate from Trinity College London (LtCL ) on piano and was a fellow of Curwen College of Music (FCCM ). Audoire garnered respect both within and outside the Salvation Army. An active composer and arranger, his Montreal Citadel March and other works are still widely performed by brass bands internationally. He “passed the baton” to Morley Calvert in January 1960 but remained active as organist at the Montreal Citadel and as a

280

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22

Notes to pages 18–21

special instructor to the Park Extension Corps Band. He died very suddenly on 30 November 1964 (Winterflood, Herbert. “Serving King and Island,” Guernsey Press, 12 November 2009, 29; “Easter Music at Montreal,” The War Cry, no. 3571 [2 May 1953], 13; “Noted Army Musician Called to Higher Service,” The War Cry, no. 4180 [2 January 1965], 13). “Royal Schools of Music Examination Results,” The Montreal Daily Star, 19 June 1948, 6. Lianne (Calvert) McGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011, and Margaret (Calvert) Epps, interview by author, Montreal, 28 July 2013. “Guelph Band Reunion,” The War Cry, no. 3398 (7 January 1950), 13. Margaret (Calvert) Epps, who has lived her whole life in Montreal, indicated in an interview, 28 July 2013, that she intends to be buried in Guelph. “High School Leaving Results Announced,” The Gazette, 28 July 1945, 11. Annual 1945: Yearbook of West Hill High School, 54. Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15, 23. Henry Lytton (1835–1936) was an English baritone who was associated with Gilbert and Sullivan’s D’Oyly Carte Company for nearly fifty years. He specialized in the familiar “patter song” but was also a capable actor. He was knighted in 1930 (Lamb, Grove Music Online, accessed 10 February 2016). D.S.S.M. “Yeoman of Guard Done at West Hill,” The Gazette, 12 April 1945, 3. Annual 1945: Yearbook of West Hill High School, 54. Diary: Morley Calvert, 24 September 1945, MCF –Mu , Box 5, File 9. Mounting productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas seems to have been a popular undertaking for Canadian high schools at this time, and experience with such productions had lasting effects on composers other than Calvert. Louis Applebaum participated in three G & S operettas at Harbord Collegiate in Toronto and later directed productions as part of the Stratford Festival, which he subsequently conducted on tour throughout North America and England. As a young man, he directed a performance of the Pirates of Penzance at a summer music camp (Pitman, Applebaum, 19, 142–7, 407), as Calvert was to do later at the Monteregian Music Camp. Harry Freedman remembered singing a lead role in The Gondoliers at his high school in Winnipeg as a formative event in his musical career (Dixon, Harry Freedman, 10). Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 10 August 2016. Calvert’s lecture notes, ca. 1990. Diary: Morley Calvert, 9–17 September 1945, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 9. “Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band Ends Its Season,” The Montreal Daily Star, 31 May 1947, 8; “Current Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band,” The Montreal Daily Star, 12 February 1949, 17; “Sunday Band Concert,” The Montreal Daily Star, 27 May 1950, 24.

Notes to pages 21–7

281

23 See The Salvation Army Tune Book, London: Salvationist Publishing & Supplies, 1936, 455. 24 “Grand Festival of Music,” Souvenir Program, Montreal Citadel Band, Meriden, Ct , 10–11 November 1945. 25 Diary: Morley Calvert, 15 November–14 December 1945, MCF –Mu Box 5, File 9. 26 Diary: Morley Calvert, 4–6 December 1945, MCF –Mu Box 5, File 9. 27 Diary: Morley Calvert, 15–16 November 1945, MCF –Mu Box 5, File 9. 28 Calvert’s usage of upper neighbours matches the standard definition of the acciaccatura – “An ornament that calls for the playing, together with the normal note, of its neighbouring tone. This ornament usually occurs in connection with chords, the chords often including two or even three acciaccatura tones. The tones are written as ordinary notes [as opposed to appoggiaturas] so that the chord takes on the appearance of an extremely dissonant tone cluster” (Apel, Harvard Dictionary, 4). 29 Diary: Morley Calvert, 113 September 1945, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 9. 30 Stubley, Compositional Crossroads, 337. 31 Diary: Morley Calvert, 1 September 1945, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 9. 32 Diary: Morley Calvert, 23 October 1945, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 9. 33 Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15. 34 MCF –Mu , Box 7. 35 “Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band,” The Montreal Daily Star, 16 October 1948, 15; 30 October 1948, 25; 13 November 1948, 35; 11 December 1948, 6; as well as others over subsequent years. 36 “Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band,” The Montreal Daily Star, 27 February 1945, 9; 7 April 1945, 4. 37 “Crusade Weekend in the Metropolis,” The War Cry, no. 3183 (24 November 1945), 5. 38 “Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band,” The Montreal Daily Star, 2 November 1946, 7; 18 January 1947, 24. 39 “Musical Affairs: The Citadel Band,” The Montreal Daily Star, 25 February 1945, 9; 7 April 1945, 4; 14 February 1948, 14; 22 May 1948, 35, 29 May 1948, 35. 40 “Eastertide Rejoicings: The Territorial Commander Heads Resurrection Meetings in Toronto, in which Montreal Citadel Band Participates,” The War Cry, no. 3308 (17 April 1948), 8. 41 “Learning and Happiness Blend at Edgewood Park Camp,” The War Cry, no. 3277 (13 September 1947), 13. 42 “Youth Councils in the Metropolis,” The War Cry, no. 3308 (17 April 1948), 4; “Montreal Young People’s Councils,” The War Cry, no. 3457 (24 February 1951), 4 43 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011.

282

Notes to pages 27–34

44 “Music Scholarships,” The Gazette, 19 November 1949, 22. 45 “Chamber Music Society Founds Scholarship,” McGill Daily, vol. 39, no. 006 (6 October 1949), 2. 46 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. 47 Boris Berlin (1907–2001) came to Canada from Russia in 1925. He began teaching piano at the Hambourg Conservatory in Toronto, and later joined the Toronto Conservatory (now the Royal Conservatory) and the University of Toronto. His reputation as a teacher and pedagogue is legendary. His numerous publications dedicated to piano teaching, music theory, and ear training are widely used internationally. In addition to Applebaum, he taught many of Canada’s best-known musicians and has received many awards, including being named “Heritage Teacher” by the Royal Conservatory in 1990 and receiving the Order of Canada in 2000 (Hale, “Berlin, Boris”). 48 Pitman, Applebaum, 27. 49 Holz, Brass Bands, 1: 151–2. 50 Ibid. 51 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. 52 Author’s personal communication from Craig Lewis, territorial secretary for Music and Gospel Arts Canada and Bermuda Territory, Toronto, 6 December 2016. C HAP TER T WO

1 “Salvationist Youth Congress,” The War Cry, no. 3421 (17 June 1950), 4. 2 Songster Mrs Morley Calvert, “Window on My Husband,” The War Cry, no. 4001 (29 July 1961), 5. 3 “Miss Grace Simpson Weds Morley Calvert at Citadel,” The Evening Citizen, Ottawa, 21 January 1952, 9. 4 Gifford Mitchell (1913–2006) was a prominent choral conductor and educator in Montreal for twenty-five years. He held a BA from McGill (1934) and a BMus from Toronto (1948). He was supervisor of music for the Protestant schools in Montreal (1948–69), taught at McGill (1955–69), conducted the Montreal Elgar Choir (1951–69), and directed the McGill Choral Society (1945–69). Mitchell was a founding member of the Canadian Music Educators’ Association (CMea ), serving both as president (1960–62) and as executive director (1962–66). He later taught at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario (1969–81), and founded the Whiteoaks Choral Society. He collaborated in the writing and publication of music teaching materials and choral music for churches. While retired to Kingston in 1985, he remained active in issues related to senior citizens, such as “Later Life Learning,” and lectured on music and music appreciation (Laughton, “Mitchell, Gifford,” 862). Mitchell and Calvert became good

Notes to pages 34–7

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

283

friends and mutual supporters. The Calverts named their daughter “Lianne” after the Mitchells’ daughter (Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011). Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. Frances Goltman, “Treble & Bass Notes,” The Gazette, 6 October 1962, 7. Bray/Green/Vogan, School Music, 1194–8. “Morley Calvert Leads Band to Summer Camp of Music,” The Examiner (Westmount, Quebec), 20 June 1958, 3. Apparently, they “stole the show” when they appeared at the Westmount Municipal Association meeting on 8 May 1958 (“Municipal Association Hears High Schools’ Band; Committee Reports Tabled,” The Examiner, 9 May 1958, 1). “High School Band of 40 Plans Ambitious Program,” The Examiner, 3 May 1957, 1. Record jacket notes for Westmount High School Band 1958, International Records Co. (Canada) Montreal, LP 0175, Special Edition (not for sale). “Westmount High Band Plans Concerts,” The Montreal Star, 21 October 1958, 2. Peter Hoos, “Westmount High Band Captures Top Honours,” The Montreal Star, 10 February 1958, 6. “Best Band,” The Examiner, 21 March 1958, 1. Westmount High School Band 1958, International Records Co. (Canada) Montreal, LP 0175, Special Edition (not for sale), MCF –Mu , Box 9. Peter Hoos, “Young City Musicians Take Festival Honours,” The Montreal Star, 4 May 1959, 23. “Montrealers Make Sweep of Festival,” The Montreal Star, 3 May 1960, 11; “Many Honours Won by City Students in Music Festival,” The Montreal Star, 7 May 1960, 30. “400 Students Plan Festival in Mount Royal,” The Montreal Star, 8 January 1955, 18; “600 Pupils Participate in Festival,” The Montreal Star, 28 January 1961, 30. “Response to Competition Enthusiastic,” The Montreal Star, 8 February 1961, 23; Peter Hoos, “Musical Festival Closes on Note of Praise,” The Montreal Star, 6 March 1961, 9. Frances Goltman, “Quebec Festival Opens Sessions,” The Gazette, 25 April 1961, 12. “22 City Youths Win Prizes,” The Montreal Star, 2 May 1961, 30. Concert programs: Westmount Jr/Sr High School Music Department, May Melodies of 1960 (25 May 1960), and May Melodies of 1962 (17 May 1962), MCF–Mu, Box 5, File 13. Dr Joan Russell, interview by author, Vancouver, 15 November 2015. Ibid.

284

Notes to pages 37–40

25 McGill University Archives, photocopy, p. 57749. 26 “Gifford Mitchell on National Executive of Music Association,” Town of Mount Royal Weekly Post, 3 April 1959, 70; “Educator’s Conference in Toronto,” The Montreal Star, 18 April 1959, 29. 27 Irwin Sankoff, “The McGill Redmen Band Passed in Review,” McGill Daily, vol. 46, no. 011 (12 October 1956), 6. 28 “McGill Band Will Feature in Concert,” McGill Daily, vol. 23, no. 062 (29 January 1934), 1. 29 Irwin Sankoff, “The McGill Redmen Band Passed in Review,” McGill Daily, vol. 46, no. 011 (12 October 1956), 6. 30 CjaD is Montreal’s English-language News Talk Radio station. 31 “Band Executive Report New Benefits and Policy,” McGill Daily, vol. 37, no. 001 (29 September 1947), 1; “Harrison Jones Conducts Band,” McGill Daily, vol. 37, no. 072 (2 February 1948), 2. 32 D.S.S.M. “Yeoman of Guard Done at West Hill,” The Gazette, 12 April 1945, 3. 33 Len Ashley, “No Cash, No Trip, No Trip, No Band,” McGill Daily, vol. 39, no. 24 (2 November 1949), 1, 4. 34 “Band Control Transfer Is Advised,” McGill Daily, vol. 38, no. 093 (8 March 1949), 1, 4. 35 “The Need for a Good Band Still Exists at McGill,” McGill Daily (picture caption, editorial page), vol. 39, no. 006 (6 October 1949), 2. 36 This trip almost did not occur. Calvert and band manager Mike Peers requested funding from both the SeC and SaC but were refused (Len Ashley, “No Cash, No Trip, No Trip, No Band,” McGill Daily, vol. 39, no. 24 [2 November 1949], 1, 4). Ultimately, the band members funded the trip themselves. 37 Peter Mathews, “New Band Impressive in Varsity Debut,” McGill Daily, vol. 39, no. 027 (7 November 1949), 1. 38 Ibid. 39 Stanley Grossman, “The Band” (letter to the editor), McGill Daily, vol. 39, no. 016, (21 October 1949), 4. 40 “Finalists to Attend Basketball Game,” McGill Daily, vol. 40, no. 071 (7 February 1951), 4. 41 “Better Band Says Calvert,” McGill Daily, vol. 40, no. 006 (6 October 1950), 3. 42 Bob Bornstein, “McGill Invades Kingston: Sidelights on the Weekend,” McGill Daily, vol. 40, no. 021 (30 October 1950), 1. 43 “McGill Band Receives Long-sought Recognition for Untiring Efforts,” McGill Daily, vol. 40, no. 027 (7 November 1950), 3. 44 Irwin Sankoff, “The McGill Redmen Band Passed in Review,” McGill Daily, vol. 46, no. 011 (12 October 1956), 6. 45 Dink Carroll, “Playing the Field: Redmen Catch Up with Mustangs,” The Gazette, 22 October 1951, 21.

Notes to pages 40–4

285

46 Bob Bronstein, “Long London Journey Worthwhile for Fans,” McGill Daily, vol. 41, no. 016 (22 October 1951), 1. 47 Charley Halpin, “Redmen Expecting Metras’ Magic; Ready for Western Skullduggery,” The Gazette, 25 October 1951, 20. 48 “Redmen Band to Play at Toronto Game,” McGill Daily, vol. 42, no. 002 (3 October 1952), 1; “Dancing Redmen Ready for Game,” McGill Daily, vol. 42, no. 007 (9 October 1952), 1. 49 Lloyd Hiscock, interview by author, Ottawa, 23 June 2011. 50 Pat Curran, “Girvin Directs Western Mustangs to 25–6 Win over McGill Redmen,” The Gazette, 18 October 1954, 24; Ian MacDonald, “Western Diamond-T Beats Redmen, 25–6,” The Montreal Star, 16 October 1954, 41. 51 Mel Sher, “A Band Plays On,” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 020 (24 October 1957), 4. 52 “Choral Society’s Springsong Show Coming March 15,” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 090 (7 March 1958), 2, 3. 53 “The Band in Review” (editorial), McGill Daily, vol. 48, no. 029 (4 November 1958), 2. 54 Academic year 1959–60 was the first year that women were permitted to participate in the Redmen Band (“Women Climb Aboard Redman Bandwagon,” McGill Daily, vol. 49, no. 001 [15 September 1959], 5); “Frosh Musicians Urgently Needed by Redman Band,” McGill Daily, vol. 50, no. 001 (15 September 1960), 8. 55 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. 56 “Concert Band Planned for McGill Soon,” McGill Daily, vol. 39, no. 040 (25 November 1949), 1. 57 Emily Hick, “Concert to Be Given by University Band,” McGill Daily, vol. 37, no. 078 (10 February 1948), 1; “Coming Soon! McGill Band Concert” (advertisement), McGill Daily, vol. 37, no. 082 (16 February 1948), 4; “Symphony Band Will Play in Currie Gym,” McGill Daily, vol. 37, no. 095 (4 March 1948), 1. 58 Shand, “Rosevear, Robert.” 59 Green/Wardrop, “Royal Conservatory.” 60 “Concert Band Planned for McGill Soon,” McGill Daily, vol. 39, no. 040 (25 November 1949), 1. 61 Occasional references to a concert band do appear during the early 1950s (“Finalists to Attend Basketball Game,” McGill Daily, vol. 40, no. 071 [7 February 1951], 4), but these references invariably refer to athletic events, which were part of the mandate of the Redmen Band. 62 “Band Control Transfer Is Advised,” McGill Daily, vol. 38, no. 093 (8 March 1949), 1, 4. 63 “Colourful Show at Forum,” McGill Daily, vol. 45, no. 073 (16 February 1956), 2; “Holiday Crowd of 5,000 at Forum Sees Redman Victory & Ice Show,” McGill Daily, vol. 45, no. 074 (20 February 1956), 1.

286

Notes to pages 44–6

64 “Today at the Union,” McGill Daily, vol. 46, no. 039 (21 November 1956), 8; “New Symphonic Band Needs Musicians Badly,” McGill Daily, vol. 46, no. 043 (27 November 1956), 3. 65 “McGill Winter Carnival: Forum Night,” McGill Daily, vol. 46, no. 079 (20 February 1957), 2–3. 66 “Choral Society ‘Spring Song’ Winds Up Year’s Activities for McGill’s 150voice Group,” McGill Daily, vol. 46, no. 091 (15 March 1957), 4. 67 “Symphonic Band Plans Activities,” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 005 (2 October 1957), 3. 68 “Clarinettists for Symphonic Band,” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 033 (12 November 1957), 2. 69 “Choral Society to Present Annual Christmas Concert,” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 048 (3 December 1957), 3. 70 “Symphonic Band Plans Concert of ‘Best Band Music,’” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 082 (24 February 1958), 6. 71 Symphonic Band Presents Concert Tomorrow Night,” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 086 (28 February 1958), 1. 72 “McGill Band Tonight,” The Montreal Star, 1 March 1958, 26. 73 “Choral Society’s Springsong Show Coming March 15,” McGill Daily, vol. 47, no. 090 (7 March 1958), 2, 3. 74 “Symphonic Band Practices Tonight,” McGill Daily, vol. 48, no. 006 (1 October 1958), 3. 75 “Choral Society Presents ‘Sing at Christmas,’” McGill Daily, vol. 48. no. 049 (12 December 1958), 2. 76 “Symphonic Band’s Guest Artist to Be Greta Jones,” McGill Daily, vol. 48, no. 091 (5 March 1959), 3. 77 “The Notebook,” The Gazette, 4 March 1959, 4; “McGill Symphonic Band,” The Montreal Star, 3 March 1959, 6. 78 Walter Christopherson, “Spins and Needles,” The Gazette, 5 December 1959, 28. The band’s recording included the works from the 6 March 1959 concert: Coat of Arms March by George Kenney, Blue Tail Fly by Clare Grundman, Londonderry Air (trumpet solo) arr. Art Dedrick, Allerseelen by Richard Strauss, Selections from Porgy and Bess arr. Paul Yoder, Serenata by Leroy Anderson, At Dawning by Charles Wakefield Cadman, Waltz from Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, and The Corcoran Cadets by John Philip Sousa (McGill Symphonic Band, LP IrC M 1203, MCF –Mu , Box 9). 79 “SeC Names Chairman, Ponders Fate of Band,” McGill Daily, vol. 48, no. 093 (20 March 1959) 1. 80 “SeC Passes Budgets at First Sitting,” McGill Daily, vol. 49, No 009 (2 October 1959), 1. 81 “Symphonic Band Begins,” McGill Daily, vol. 49, no. 021 (21 October 1959), 3; “Symphonic Band Needs Musicians – or Will Fold,” McGill Daily, vol. 49, no. 029 (2 November 1959), 2.

Notes to pages 47–50

287

82 “Symphonic Band Begins with New Outlook,” McGill Daily, vol. 49, no. 051 (13 January 1960), 7; “Symphonic Band Practice Meet,” McGill Daily, vol. 49, no. 085 (2 March 1960), 3. 83 “Band Tries Again,” McGill Daily, vol. 50, no. 038 (16 November 1960), 3; “Newly Formed Concert Band Seeks Members,” McGill Daily, vol. 50, no. 42 (22 November 1960), 3. 84 “Concert Band Holds Practice Today,” McGill Daily, vol. 50, no. 054 (11 January 1961), 3; “Concert Band Holds Practice Today,” McGill Daily, vol. 50, no. 064 (25 January 1961), 3. 85 Peter Wilcox was a former member of the Band of The Irish Guard and had trained at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall. He was teaching high school in Montreal (“Band Is Reorganized – Appoints Wilcox Director,” McGill Daily, vol. 51, no. 002 (25 September 1961), 3). 86 “Bands Open New Programs: Concerts, Lectures to Be Featured by Concert Group,” McGill Daily, vol. 53, no. 001 (17 September 1963), 9. 87 Cyril (Cy) Cooper served as a musician with the Canadian Army during the Second World War, studied at McGill, and worked as a professional musician (trumpet) in Montreal. Through injury, he was forced to give up playing and became the music teacher at Montreal West High School and at Vanier College. A well-respected musician and teacher, his students set up a memorial music scholarship in his honour at McGill University (Obituary, The Gazette, 30 December 2006). He and Morley Calvert were close friends (Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011). 88 “Register Tonight for Band Auditions,” McGill Daily, vol. 54, no. 009 (30 September 1964), 3. 89 “McGill University Faculty of Music Symphonic Band,” The Gazette, 21 September 1967, 13. 90 Christine Calvert, Canadian Composer Morley Calvert and His Contribution to Canadian Heritage. Unpublished paper, 1999, 9. 91 Forrester, Out of Character, 54–6. 92 “Huge Crowd Hears Evangeline Booth,” The Gazette, 26 October 1937, 11. 93 Letter from Morley Calvert to Maureen Forrester, 13 November 1985. 94 “200 Youths Will Join in Service at Sunrise Atop Mount Royal,” The Gazette, 20 April 1946, 2; “Youngsters Ready Sunrise Service,” The Gazette, 5 April 1947, 11; “60-Voice Choir Heads Sunrise Service,” The Montreal Star, 9 April 1955, 10. 95 “Promoted to Glory: Dedicated Bandsman,” The War Cry, no. 5328 (3 January 1987), 11. 96 “Sunday Afternoons at the Citadel to Be Inaugurated,” The Gazette, 16 October 1943, 3. 97 “Band Reunion in Montreal,” The War Cry, no. 3367 (4 June 1949), 13. 98 During the late 1940s, The Montreal Daily Star had a regular Saturday column, “Musical Affairs,” which included an item called “The Citadel Band.” The band’s program for the upcoming “Sunday Afternoons at the Citadel” was outlined

288

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100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115

116 117

Notes to pages 50–2

in some detail, and Calvert is frequently identified as being featured on both cornet and organ. “Graduation Exercises at Catherine Booth Hospital, Montreal,” The War Cry, no. 3421 (17 June 1950), 5; “Montreal and Ottawa Nurses’ Graduation,” The War Cry, no. 3577 (13 June 1953), 6; Wanzer, “Mystic,” The News and Eastern Townships Advocate, 11 June 1959, 11. Her celebrated and long-term collaboration with pianist John Newmark did not begin until 1953 (Forrester, Out of Character, 77–9). Frazer/Spier, Forrester, Maureen, 485. Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013; Graham Young, interview by author, Hamilton, 28 August 2016. McGregor, “Calvert, Morley,” 187. Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. “From Coast to Coast: Imperial Tobacco Co. Has Unique Broadcast Tonight,” The Gazette, 9 January 1935, 7. “Canada 1937 Opens Broadcasts Tonight,” The Gazette, 5 November 1937, 11; “Canada 1938,” The Shawinigan Standard, 30 March 1938, 14. Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. “Santa Claus Paid Hospital Visit at Montreal General,” The Gazette, 26 December 1924, 3. Sault, “Glee Club,” 45. “Nurses Rehearse,” The Gazette, 20 December 1961, 9. “Morley Calvert Leads Band to Summer Camp of Music,” The Examiner, 20 June 1958, 1. McGill University Archives, photocopy, p. 68073. John Kraglund “Salvation Army Citadel Band Features Soloists,” The Globe and Mail, 13 October 1952, 5. “The Montreal Citadel Band Makes Successful Visit to Toronto,” The War Cry, no. 3545 (1 November 1952), 16. The Campbell Free Band Concerts were established in Montreal in 1924 with a bequest from Sandwith Campbell (1858–1923), a local corporate lawyer. Their purpose was “to encourage bands to play on summer evenings … in public places handy to the overcrowded parts of the city.” The series continues to this day in parks and public squares throughout the city, with more than 5,000 concerts having been given. The military and community bands around Montreal as well as the Montreal Citadel Band were (are) regular participants, and performances continue to be well attended. Gilles Potvin, “Campbell Free Band Concerts/Concerts Campbell gratuits,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, last modified 14 December 2013, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ campbell-free-band-concertsconcerts-campbell-gratuits-emc. “Band Concerts This Evening,” The Montreal Star, 30 June 1953, 9. Senior Captain Kenneth Rawlins, “Contacts in Ontario and Quebec,” The War Cry, no. 3732 (2 June 1956), 14–15.

Notes to page 52

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118 “Festival Music,” The Gazette, 14 March 1959, 20. 119 This is incorrect. Calvert did not become bandmaster at the Montreal Citadel until January 1960. 120 Frances Goltman, “Treble and Bass Notes,” The Gazette, 21 June 1958, 31. 121 Arnold MacLaughlan (1931–2004) was born in Nova Scotia but moved with his parents to Montreal when very young. He attended West Hill High School, graduating in 1947, two years after Morley Calvert (“Examination Results Announced from Protestant Central Board,” The Gazette, 23 June 1947, 11). He attended McGill University as a bachelor of music student and was in Dean Douglas Clarke’s composition class with Calvert. He worked as a professional trumpet player in Montreal for more than thirty years, was also committed to music education, and was a featured soloist with the Montreal Junior Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 1956 (“Junior Symphony in Local Concert,” The Montreal Star, 14 May 1956, 25). In the 1960s, he taught at École Normal de Musique de Westmount, which was affiliated with the University of Montreal and whose purpose was to train teachers to develop instrumental music programs in the French schools of Quebec. In 1976 he married Joan Russell, a fine French horn player who was a graduate of Westmount Junior/Senior High School and later played in the Montreal Brass Ensemble, and in Calvert’s Lakeshore Concert Band – a 1967 Centennial Project. MacLaughlan taught at St George’s School from 1976 until 1992. At the time, 120 of the 240 students at the school played in the band – a remarkable tribute to his teaching. After Calvert moved to Barrie, Ontario (1972), MacLaughlan conducted the Lakeshore Concert Band for several years. In 1994, he and Joan emigrated to Australia, but Joan left the marriage to return to Montreal, complete a PhD at McGill, and run the university’s teacher education program. MacLaughlan moved to Thailand and died in Bangkok on 18 June 2004.MacLaughlan composed and arranged a substantial amount of fine music for young and intermediate-level bands, some of which is still in the standard repertoire. His “St George’s Band Method” is highly original and takes a unique approach to the training of young wind and percussion players. A genuine concern for the quality of music available to bands at all levels led the MacLaughlans to found Knightmusic Publications in Dorval, Quebec, to promote his compositions and arrangements. MacLaughlan was widely respected as performer, conductor, composer, and educator, and made an important contribution to the cultural and educational life of Montreal, Quebec, and Canada. He and Calvert were long-time friends and colleagues. Calvert had MacLaughlan write a dazzling new arrangement of Hail Alma Mater for the McGill Redmen Band in 1952 (“Dancing Redmen Ready for Game,” McGill Daily, vol. 42, no. 007 [9 October 1952], 1), and they worked together in the Montreal Brass Ensemble. The following illustrates MacLaughlan’s views on bands and school music: “Modern wind players have ample technique to be able to communicate. They need important things to say.” (MacLaughlan, Recreating Masterpieces, 48.)

290

122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132

133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142

Notes to pages 52–5

Most of the information presented here was provided by Dr Joan Russell of Vancouver in an interview on 15 November 2015. Frances Goltman, “Treble and Bass Notes: Symphonic Bands Gaining Popularity,” The Gazette 27 June 1959, 28. “Boy Scouts and Youth Clubs: Montreal Brass Ensemble,” The Montreal Star, 17 October 1959, 17, and 24 October 1959, 10. “Boy Scouts and Youth Clubs,” The Montreal Star, 7 March 1959, 12. “Boy Scouts and Youth Clubs, Montreal Scout Band,” The Montreal Star, 1 November 1958, 49. “Boy Scouts and Youth Clubs: Scout Band” and “Programs for the Coming Week: Thursday November 12,” The Montreal Star, 8 November 1958, 20, 27. “Boy Scouts and Youth Clubs,” The Montreal Star, 7 March 1959, 12. “History-Making Move,” The War Cry, no. 3811 (7 December 1957), 8. Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15, 23. “Boy Scout News: Scout Musicians Become an R.C.N.V.R. Band for the Duration,” The Coaticook Observer, 16 May 1941, 2; Al Palmer, “Ourtown,” The Gazette, 4 September 1965, 3. Ed Kingsland, “Along Main Street in Magog,” The Coaticook Observer, 28 May 1947, 11. A group of Queen’s Scouts from Quebec travelled to England to participate in the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. The troop left Montreal on the evening of 18 May aboard the SS Georgic but, according to the troop leader, was escorted to Windsor Station to board ship by the Montreal Boy Scout Band (James Edward, troop leader, “Three Rivers Coronation Scout Sends First Report on Trip,” The Shawinigan Standard, 10 June 1953, 12). This could only have been the Donnacona Band, renamed for the occasion. “Boy Scouts and Youth Clubs,” The Montreal Star, 15 August 1959, 17. Dr Joan Russell, interview by author, Vancouver, 15 November 2015. “1953 Youth Councils Launched by Inspiring Series at Montreal Led by the Territorial Commander,” The War Cry, no. 3563 (7 March 1953), 9. Calvert also played in a cornet/euphonium duet and an organ voluntary on The Psalms at this performance (“Easter Music at Montreal,” The War Cry, no. 3571 [2 May 1953], 13). “A Musical Ministry,” The War Cry, no. 3884 (2 May 1959), 16. “The Montreal Congress,” The War Cry, no. 3808 (16 November 1957), 8, 9, 13. “Young People Respond to Challenge in Montreal Councils,” The War Cry, no. 4144 (25 April 1964), 15. “Divisional Festivals,” The War Cry, no. 3501 (29 December 1951), 4. “Simplified Music,” The War Cry, no. 3646 (9 October 1954), 9. “Montreal Comrades Encouraged,” The War Cry, no. 3710 (31 December 1956), 16; “Musical Visitors,” The War Cry, no. 3753 (27 October 1956), 8.

Notes to pages 55–61

291

143 “Along the St Lawrence,” The War Cry, no. 3459 (10 March 1951), 13. 144 “Large Audience at Salvation Army Young People’s Play,” The Ottawa Journal, 30 April 1951, 5. 145 “‘Youth Year’ in the Queen City,” The War Cry, no. 3598 (7 November 1953), 8–9. 146 “Montreal Musicians at Toronto Temple,” The War Cry, no. 3736 (30 June 1956), 15. 147 The Salvation Army camp at Lac L’Achigan has existed since 1933. All Salvation Army Music Camps followed a similar organization. Each individual camp generally ran for one week and included Bible study, instrumental and vocal classes, and theory lessons as well as sports and recreation. Evening programs were held featuring student bands, choirs, and individuals along with faculty participation. (Major Kenneth Rawlins, “The Development of Music Camps,” The War Cry, no. 3992 [27 May 1961], 4.) 148 “Camps in Full Swing,” The War Cry, no. 3482 (18 August 1951), 12; “At Beautiful Lac L’Achigan,” The War Cry, no. 3534 (16 August 1952), 10; “Harmony at Lac L’Achigan,” The War Cry, no. 3589 (5 September 1953), 13. 149 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 10 August 2016. 150 “At Jackson’s Point,” The War Cry, no. 3691 (20 August 1955), 9. 151 “From Sea to Sea: Salvationist Quartet Seeing the World, Cross the North American Continent,” The War Cry, no. 3850 (6 September 1958), 14. 152 Camus, “Leidzén, Erik.” 153 “Salvation Army Musical Camp Ends Tomorrow,” Santa Cruz Sentinel, 16 July 1962, 2. Leidzén died later that year. 154 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 10 August 2016. 155 “Seeker Desires to Emulate Christian Example,” The War Cry, no. 3837 (7 June 1958), 14. 156 “In the Federal Capital,” The War Cry, no. 3860 (15 November 1958), 14. 157 Concert program, Camp-of-the-Woods, Season 1961, 19 July 1961. 158 “Profitable Weekend Spent in Ottawa,” The War Cry, no. 4230 (18 December 1965), 13. 159 Harriet Hill, “Person to Person,” The Gazette, 14 April 1956, 22. 160 “Piano Clinic,” The Gazette, 8 February 1958, 26. 161 “Youthful Musicians in Festival,” The Montreal Star, 24 May 1960, 2; “Music Festival in St Lambert Opens, Continues to March 25,” The Gazette, 17 March 1961, 19. 162 Letter from Fred Creighton to Grace Calvert, 9 November 1997, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 2. 163 This major third progression, tonic to flat sub-mediant, became a Calvert favourite, appearing in a number of his works, often surprisingly. 164 In 1954, Calvert composed a woodwind quintet, Variations on a Given Theme, probably as a composition exercise while he was studying at McGill University.

292

165

166 167 168 169 170 171

172

173 174 175 176

177 178 179 180 181

182

Notes to pages 62–8

While seven variations were completed, variation eight, apparently a fugue, ends after only four bars. “Young People of Ottawa and Montreal Meet the International Youth Secretary” The War Cry, no. 3528 (5 July 1952), 5; “1953 Youth Councils Launched by Inspiring Series at Montreal Led by the Territorial Commander,” The War Cry, no. 3563 (7 March 1953), 9. Author’s personal correspondence with Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, 14 December 2016. www.themeonline.ca/UserFiles/File/Vocal-music-by-composer.pdf. (Accessed 17 November 2016; site discontinued.) Holz, “History of the Hymn Tune,” 142, 284. Ibid., 24, 29, 42, 47, 52, 54, 67–8, 70, 72, 85. Holz, Brass Bands, 2: 120. The words are: Alas! And did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sovereign die? Did He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I? Percy Merritt, “Joyful Journeying,” The War Cry, no. 3507 (9 January 1954), 13; Percy Merritt, “Joyful Journeying,” The War Cry, no. 3508 (16 January 1954), 16; “70th Anniversary of a Noble Work,” The War Cry, no. 3752 (20 October 1956), 8. Holz, “History of the Hymn Tune,” 315. Ibid., 110–14. Ibid., 118–19. The words of the chorus are: My all is on the altar, I’m waiting for the fire, Waiting, waiting, waiting, I’m waiting for the fire. (Salvation Army Song Book (1954), no. 446) It has become the performance practice to actually play these bars at a slightly slower tempo, which heightens their effect. Apparently, however, some conductors know about this alteration since the sforzando is present on certain recordings. “Simplified Music,” The War Cry, no. 3646 (9 October 1954), 9. Score, Canadian Brass Band Journal for Smaller Bands, Toronto: Territorial Young People’s Department, 1955. “The Staff Band’s Evangelism,” The War Cry, no. 3782 (18 May 1957), 9, 14; “Dispensers of Goodwill: The International Staff Band in Montreal,” The War Cry, no. 3783 (25 May 1957), 8; “I.S.B. Gems from Columbia,” The War Cry, no. 3788 (29 June 1957), 14; “Crowd of 1,200 Hears Salvation Army Band,” The Montreal Star, 30 April 1957, 23. Holz, “History of the Hymn Tune,” 168.

Notes to pages 69–7 7

293

183 Allen, Analysis of the Band Journal, 248–9. 184 Morley Calvert, “For Our Transgressions,” The War Cry, no. 3807 (9 November 1957), 14. 185 Allen, Analysis of the Band Journal, 248. 186 “The War on the Home Front: Montreal Citadel Corps,” The War Cry, no. 3808 (16 November 1957), 15; “Tidings from the Territory,” The War Cry, no. 3835 (24 May 1958), 15. 187 “A ‘Salute to America’ Festival,” The War Cry, no. 3814 (28 December 1957), 5. 188 “Inspired Music Thrills Toronto Audience,” The War Cry, no. 4018 (25 November 1961), 5. 189 “Thanksgiving Congress Yields Harvest of Souls,” The War Cry, no. 4120 (9 November 1963), 8. 190 “Campaigning in W. Pennsylvania: Dovercourt Citadel Band Visits US Centres,” The War Cry, no. 4152 (20 June 1964), 11. 191 For example, the Earlscourt Citadel Band played the work at its Diamond Jubilee Festival, 1–3 November 1985 (“Proclamation of Praise,” The War Cry, no. 5273 [14 December 1985], 10); the Hamilton Temple Band performed it at their annual young artist series in June 1999 (“Hamilton, Ont.,” The War Cry, no. 5847 [July 1999], 4). 192 Holz, Brass Bands, 2: 120. 193 Ibid. 194 Allen, Analysis of the Band Journal, 248. 195 We will have reason to discuss these “surging figures” later in this study. 196 According to Allen, this chorus is not well known (Allen, Analysis of the Band Journal, 249), another example of Calvert’s propensity for employing lesserknown tunes. 197 Holz, Brass Bands, 2: 121. 198 Allen, Analysis of the Band Journal, 249. 199 “Goodbye Canada: International Staff Band Finale,” The War Cry, no. 3783 (25 May 1957), 14. 200 David Buckley, interview by author, Hamilton, 22 December 2010. 201 Eulogy delivered by Eric Calvert at Morley Calvert’s funeral, 9 September 1991, Hamilton Citadel, Hamilton, Ontario, MCF –Mu , uncatalogued. 202 Allen, Analysis of the Band Journal, 248 203 David Buckley, interview by author, Hamilton, 22 December 2010.Graham Young referred to another example of Calvert’s concerns with the editing of his works. He was conducting one of his marches, which had been recently published by Salvationist Publications, with the Weston Silver Band, Toronto. Suddenly he stopped and, using his baton, flipped through the pages of the score, saying: “I didn’t write this.” A section had been added to the march, apparently because the editors felt it was too short. (Graham Young, interview by author, Hamilton, 18 August 2016.)

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Notes to pages 78–83

204 Sing to the Lord a New Song, The Huntsville [Australia] Salvation Army Singers, cond. R. Smart, eMI LP yPrX 2248. This recording can be heard at www.regalzonophone.com. 205 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. 206 The words to the second verse are: Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness: Take it to the Lord in prayer. C HAP TER T HR E E

1 “A Tribute to Faithfulness,” The War Cry, no. 3924 (6 February 1960), 14; “Bandmaster Finishes Lengthy Service,” The Montreal Star, 16 January 1960, 9. 2 “Montreal Citadel Band” (picture caption), The War Cry, no. 4032 (3 March 1962), 4. 3 Brindley Boon (1913–2009) was a highly respected Salvation Army composer, writer, and administrator. He became an officer in 1950 and over the next nearly fifty years held numerous important administrative positions. He wrote many devotional works for both singers and bands, and his books, Play the Music, Play! and Sing the Happy Song, are essential sources of historical information on Salvation Army banding and singing. His autobiography, The Best of Both Worlds, was completed just prior to his death and published shortly afterwards. 4 “The Maritimes Congress,” The War Cry, no. 4012 (14 October 1961), 8, 9, 13; “Vocal Blessings in Montreal,” The War Cry, no. 4014 (28 October 1961), 5; “Long and Faithful Service Honoured,” The War Cry, no. 4021 (16 December 1961), 9, 15; “New Building for Rosemount Corps,” The War Cry, no. 3980 (4 March 1961), 9; “Montreal Citadel,” The War Cry, no. 4032 (3 March 1962), 15; “Some Active Personalities of Montreal Citadel Corps: Corps SergeantMajor William Goodier,” The War Cry, no. 3884 (2 May 1959), 14. 5 The other performers at this festival were the Dovercourt Band and the local male chorus, Queensmen, conducted by Roderick Shepherd (“Musical Feast in Toronto,” The War Cry, no. 4038 [14 April 1962], 5; “Church Briefs,” The Globe and Mail, 10 March 1962, 22). 6 Condon, “Meditation – Nearer the Cross.” 7 Holz, “History of the Hymn Tune,” 29–30. 8 A possible fourth text-motif is also present. The seventh and eighth bars of the tune are associated with the words “And be closer drawn to Thee,” and this

Notes to pages 86–9

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

295

fragment occurs prominently in the introduction. Since it appears only in the initial bars, Calvert may not have intended it as a text-motif. “Congress in Ottawa Crowned with Seekers,” The War Cry, no. 4119 (2 November 1963), 16. An antependium is the decorative cloth that hangs in front of a Christian altar, pulpit, or lectern. “Montreal Citadel Band Donates Mercy Seat,” The War Cry, no. 4241 (5 March 1966), 10; “Young People Show Musical Talent,” The War Cry, no. 4251 (14 May 1966), 10. “Memorial Presentation of Audoire Award,” The War Cry, no. 4306 (3 June 1967), 15. “Labrador City Stirred by Music,” The War Cry, no. 4259 (9 July 1966), 10. “Band League Has Annual Weekend,” Asbury Park Evening Press, 24 March 1962, 12. “A Musical Quartette of Award Winners” (picture caption), The War Cry, no. 4070 (24 November 1962), 14. “Music Fete Is Planned for Tonight,” Asbury Park Evening Press, 15 June 1968, 12. Letter from Major Ralph R. Leidy, Rochester Citadel, to Morley Calvert, 13 March 1969. Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 10 August 2016. “Music Leaders’ Conference,” The War Cry, no. 4411 (7 June 1969), 6. Proctor, Canadian Music, 150. “Expo 67,” The War Cry, no. 4297 (1 April 1967), 4. Proctor, Canadian Music, 150–1. Much of the information presented was gleaned from reviewing scores available for perusal on the website of the Canadian Music Centre. Dixon, Harry Freedman, 71–3. Proctor, Canadian Music, 160–1. Jessup/Nurse/Smith, Marius Barbeau, 10. Dixon, Harry Freedman, 70–1. Proctor, Canadian Music, 167. Cherney, Harry Somers, 129–40. “Annual Spring Concert at Lindsay Place High School,” The South Shore News, 2 May 1968, 12. Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 10 August 2016. “Expo 67 Today,” The Gazette, 16 September 1967, 6; Lakeshore Concert Band website, www.lakeshoreconcertband.ca/en/history. (Accessed 7 May 2016.) Author’s personal communication with Art Brewer, 2 May 2016. “Annual Spring Concert at Lindsay Place High School,” The South Shore News, 2 May 1968, 12.

296

Notes to pages 89–93

35 “Lakeshore Concert Band First at CNe ,” North Shore News, 14 September 1972, 9. 36 Camp-of-the-Woods continues to operate on the same principles and in the same location. 37 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. 38 Concert programs, Camp-of-the-Woods, Season 1961, 19 July 1961, 22 July 1961, 26 July 1961. 39 As noted earlier, one of these invitations was to teach at Camp Redwood Glen, Santa Cruz, California, on the recommendation of Erik Leidzén. 40 Frances Goltman, “Treble & Bass Notes,” The Gazette, 27 June 1964, 39. 41 “Salvation Army to Give Band Concert,” Tucson Daily Citizen, 14 July 1965, 16; “Concert Slated by SA Youths,” Tucson Citizen, 14 July 1966, 4. 42 “Salvation Army Camp in Tune for Summer,” Chicago Tribune, 22 August 1968, Section 2a , 8. 43 When questioned about his removal of the da capo from his marches, John Philip Sousa is quoted as saying: “Speaking gastronomically, when they [da capo marches] got through with the ice cream, they went back to the roast beef. And the beef had no new sauce on it.” (Warfield, “The March as Musical Drama,” 299.) 44 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. 45 Mrs Morley Calvert, “Window on My Husband,” The War Cry, no. 4001 (29 July 1961), 5; Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 10 August 2016. 46 “At L’Achigan’s Lovely Lac,” The War Cry, no. 4162 (29 August 1964), 10; “Top Marks for Musical Efficiency,” The War Cry, no. 4272 (8 October 1966), 14; “National Music Camp: A Centennial Project,” The War Cry, no. 4322 (23 September 1967), 12. 47 “Morley Calvert Leads Band to Summer Camp of Music,” The Examiner (Westmount, Quebec), 20 June 1958, 1; “Westmount High Band Plan Concerts,” The Montreal Star, 21 October 1958, 2. 48 Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011; Certificate of Participation signed by Pierre Dupuy, ambassador and commissioner general, Universal and International Exhibition of 1967, MCF –Mu . 49 Stewart Grant (b: 1948) was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, but studied in Montreal, completing both an LMus and a BMus from McGill University in 1969 and 1971, respectively. He played oboe and English horn with the National Arts Centre Orchestra from 1972–74 and simultaneously with the Ayorama Wind Quintet. When the quintet performed his Shiva’s Dance in 1973, his interest in composition was renewed. In 1978, he became the first full-time conductor of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for sixteen years. He subsequently guest conducted in Canada and the United States. Grant’s compositions have been widely performed and have won several prestigious

Notes to pages 93–5

50

51 52

53 54

55 56 57 58 59 60

297

awards. He has lived in Quebec since 1995 and continues to perform, conduct, and compose. (Spier, “Grant, Stewart.”) Nora Gaskin, interview by author, Hamilton, 21 March 2017. Ms Gaskin also recalled that the camp had a public address system, and the campers were roused each morning with the announcement: “This is DJ Lionseth Bodsey inviting you to another fabulous day at the Monteregian Music Camp.” She cannot remember the actual name of the staff member who was responsible for this humorous wake-up call. Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011; Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. The students at Westmount presented him with a baton in an engraved case and a plaque that read: “Morley F. Calvert, in grateful appreciation for all your interest and devotion to the Westmount High School Bands, 1950–1962.” The baton and plaque are part of the Morley Calvert Research Collection at McMaster University, MCF –Mu , Box 8. This baton is also part of the Morley Calvert Research Collection at McMaster University, MCF –Mu , Box 8. William Tritt (1951–1992) was born in Montreal and studied at École Vincentd’Indy before undertaking advanced studies in France and at Indiana University. He won or placed highly in competitions such as the Munich Festival, the CBC Talent Festival, and the Montreal International Music Competition. Tritt was artist-in-residence and teacher at Dalhousie University, Halifax, from 1974–84, where he founded the Dalart Trio with Phillipe Djokic and William Valleau. As a member of the Da Camera Ensemble of Toronto (1984–90), he toured widely in North America and Europe. He appeared as soloist with orchestras in Canada and the United States, and performed with chamber ensembles at Lincoln Centre, New York City. While Tritt’s recordings of the music of George Gershwin received high praise, he also recorded works by Canadian composers as well as by Haydn, Brahms, and Bach-Busoni. Dalhousie University offers two scholarships in his name. (King/Rochon, “William Tritt.”) According to the Calvert family, Morley Calvert was Tritt’s first piano teacher. “Annual Spring Concert at Lindsay Place High School,” The South Shore News, 2 May 1968, 12. “What’s Doing in Montreal,” The Gazette, 15 January 1971, 21; “What’s Doing in Montreal,” The Gazette, 21 January 1972, 19; and concert programs of the Lakeshore Concert Band, 4 November 1971, 9 March 1972. Holz, “History of the Hymn Tune,” 285. “New Band Music,” The War Cry, no. 4007 (9 September 1961), 4. “Grand Finale in Montreal,” The War Cry, no. 4044 (26 May 1962), 5, 8. “St James, Manitoba,” The War Cry, no. 4031 (24 February 1962), 15; “Music Secretary in the West,” The War Cry, no. 4033 (10 March 1962), 4.

298

Notes to pages 95–6

61 See MCF –Mu , Box 1, File 20. 62 At this time, the members of the Montreal Brass Quintet were: James Ranti and Jean-Louise Chatel, trumpets; William Karstens, horn; Joseph Zuskin, trombone; and Robert Ryker, tuba. (“Brass Quintet Composition,” The Gazette, 24 March 1967, 14.) 63 Harvey Southgate, “Music in Brass: Eastman Quintet Applauded,” Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), 14 July 1965, 41; John Fetler, “Arts Chronicle: Brass Instrument Music Can Be Interesting, Too,” Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, 23 July 1966, 20; “New York Brass Thrills Audience,” Delaware County Daily Times (Chester, Pennsylvania), 10 February 1968, 29. 64 “Montreal Bandmaster on ‘701,’” The War Cry, no. 4034 (17 March 1962), 4; “Radio Highlights,” The Globe and Mail, 30 December 1966, T2. 65 As a confirmation of the work’s long-term popularity, the author offers the following: I met Mr Calvert only once. In the spring of 1991, I attended a concert he conducted with the Weston Silver Band of Toronto and went backstage afterwards to meet him. When I shook his hand, I said: “I’ve never met you, but I feel like I know you.” His answer: “Right. You’ve played Suite from the Monteregian Hills.” And, of course, I had! 66 Virtuoso Brass, Chicago Brass Quintet, Delos cd, de 1022; Centre City Brass Quintet, Chandos cd, chan 10017; Das Deutsche Blechbläserquintett, German Brass, Audite cd, audite 95401; Classical Brass, Eastern Brass Quintet, Klavier cd, kcd 11025; Dry Heat, Sonoran Brass Quintet, SBq cd, SBq 001. 67 The Montreal Brass Quintet performed it again in the same location a year later. The 1962 concert was reviewed in the French-language Montreal newspaper, Le Devoir. The reviewer, Gilles Potvin, was not impressed by Calvert’s piece, calling it “habilement fait, sans plus [well made, nothing more].” Potvin was not impressed with the other two contemporary works on the program either – compositions by Alexander Brott (Mutual Salvation Orgy) and Malcolm Arnold (Brass Quintet, op. 73). (Potvin, Gilles. “Au Festival de Montreal: Oeuvres pour cinq cuivres,” Le Devoir, 17 August 1962, 6.) 68 Calvert was not the only composer to incorporate wrong notes into fiddle tunes. Harry Freedman’s ballet Rose Latulippe, which is set in a Quebec village, employs an actual Laurentian fiddle tune with notes altered to present the complete aggregate within a short period of time (Dixon, Harry Freedman, 67–8).Old-time, untrained fiddlers usually play without a shoulder rest and cradle the instrument on their left arm with the elbow resting against their body. This position provides support for long sessions of continuous playing but limits the players’ ability to shift up the fingerboard, making higher pitches hard to reach – thus the out-of-tune notes intimated in Calvert’s and Freedman’s fiddle tunes (based on the author’s observations of old-time fiddlers in the Madawaska Valley, Ontario).

Notes to pages 96–116

69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88

89 90 91 92

93 94 95 96

299

Calvert’s lecture notes, 1968. Smith, “Ernest Gagnon,” 60. Rosenberg, “‘She’s Like the Swallow,’” 81. Schabas, Sir Ernest MacMillan, 285. Jessup/Nurse/Smith, Marius Barbeau, 137, 150, 232. Keillor, Weinzweig, 38. Jessup/Nurse/Smith, Marius Barbeau, 137. Keillor, Music in Canada, 222. Schabas, Sir Ernest MacMillan, 85. Gagnon, Chansons populaires, 24. Schabas, Sir Ernest MacMillan, 84–5. Keillor, Music in Canada, 175, 393. Schabas, Sir Ernest MacMillan, 85–6. From the notes MacMillan provided in his score. Lederman, Fiddling, 455. Keillor, Music in Canada, 104–5. Kallmann, History of Music in Canada, 37. Lederman, Fiddling, 455–6. Keillor, Music in Canada, 181, 394. Florence Fisher, “Florida Brass Quintet in Fine, Wide-Ranging Performance,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 18 October 1988, 4e ; Richard Storm, “Symphony’s Chamber Groups Begin the Season with Panache,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 3 October 2001, 2e . John Bridges, “Quintet Impresses in Mixed Program,” The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee), 4 December 1982, 34. Author’s personal conversation with Robert Ryker, MidWest Clinic, Chicago, Illinois, December 2002. John Bridges, “Quintet Impresses in Mixed Program,” The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee), 4 December 1982, 34. This kind of linear approach, especially when using a near tone row, is reminiscent of the adapted serialism of Harry Somers (Cherney, Harry Somers, 45) and John Weinzweig (Keillor, Weinwzeig, 35) where extension and intersection of line was the primary goal. Richard Storm, “Symphony’s Chamber Groups Begin the Season with Panache,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 3 October 2001, 2e . “A Congress in Canada’s Centennial: A Musical Feast,” The War Cry, no. 4327 (28 October 1967), 6, 7. “Salvation Sounds ’68,” The War Cry, no. 4340 (27 January 1968), 12; “Festival of Contemporary Music,” The War Cry, no. 4344 (24 February 1968), 7. Program note written by Calvert for the 1970 publication of Canadian Folk Song Suite.

300

Notes to pages 116–26

97 See the published score of the brass band version, Salvationist Publications, Festival Series, no. 331 (1970). 98 “Musical Canadiana,” The War Cry, no. 4410 (31 May 1969), 10. 99 In July 2003, I presented a paper on Canadian wind band music at the conference of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Jönköping, Sweden. I played an excerpt from the brass band version of this work and mentioned that an excellent concert band version existed, but was not available from any legal source. A Swedish military musician in the audience informed me that his band had a copy and performed it regularly. How an unpublished Canadian work found its way to Sweden is a mystery. 100 Kate Harries, “Calvert Wraps Up a Full and Rewarding Career,” Barrie Banner, 27 January 1986, 13. 101 See MCF –mu, Box 4, File 6. 102 Morley Calvert, undated document; MCF –Mu (uncatalogued). 103 In the early 1930s, Newfoundland was an independent country. By the middle of the decade, it had reverted to colonial status. (Rosenberg, “‘She’s Like the Swallow,’” 75.) 104 Rosenberg, “‘She’s Like the Swallow,’” 75–80. 105 Colton, “She’s Like the Swallow,” 75. 106 Somers used this tune again as the fourth movement of Five Songs of the Newfoundland Outports (1968), written for the Festival Singers of Canada. After the first verse, Somers ranged widely from the tune, creating his own melodies and textures in an extraordinary exploration of the meaning of the text, which blends “formal symmetry and organic growth, traditional folk music and modern compositional techniques, all of which shed new light on one of Newfoundland’s most celebrated love tragedies.” (Colton, “She’s Like the Swallow,” 75–8.) This remarkable composition bears little resemblance to any other setting. 107 Rosenberg, “‘She’s Like the Swallow,’” 78. 108 Ibid., 81–3. 109 In this context, as in many folk songs, the phrase “her apron full” is a euphemism for pregnancy. 110 This tune was also collected by Ernest Gagnon and published (Gagnon, Chansons populaires, 223–4); it was reprinted in Fowke/Johnston Chansons de Quebec/Folk Songs of Quebec in 1957, which was probably Calvert’s source. 111 Curiously, the two versions of this movement use different time signatures – the brass band is in 2/4, the concert band is in 4/4 – thus the two different sets of bar numbers. The melody quoted in this example is from the brass band score. 112 Calvert’s accelerando does not appear until variation four, but when conducting this work, I have always been unable to resist beginning to speed up the

Notes to pages 126–32

113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131

301

tempo at variation three, probably because the repetitive nature of the vamp makes increasing the tempo easy to accomplish. Lederman, Fiddling, 456. Keillor, Music in Canada, 76–7. See Frances Coleman, record jacket notes for Songs and Dances of Quebec, Folkways Records Fw 6951 1956. Gibbons, Folk Fiddling, 75–7. Kallmann, History of Music in Canada, 37. Kallmann, “Pre-Confederation Dancing.” Yates, “Set Running,” 1. Kennedy, Oxford Dictionary, 615. Virtual Museum of Canadian Traditional Music: The Square Dance, streaming. tapor.ualberta.ca/vmctm/en/html/narratives.php?id=0&sec=35. (Accessed 29 May 2019.) See, for example, “The Basic Figures of Square Dancing,” users.xplorenet.com/ ~hobby/square dance basics.htm. Handler, Nationalism and Politics, 13. David Buckley, interview by author, Hamilton, 22 December 2010. Concert program, Lakeshore Concert Band, 9 December 1971. Holz, Brass Bands, 1: 199. Resumé of Morley Calvert, 1985. McGee, Music of Canada, 13–14. “Jesous Ahatonia.” In Encyclopedia of Music in Canada, 2nd ed., edited by Helmut Kallmann, Gilles Potvin, and Kenneth Winters, 653. Toronto, Buffalo, London: University of Toronto Press, 1992. Helmut Kallmann, “Huron Carol,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, last edited 28 January 2014, thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/huron-carol. The words of the English translation used by Calvert are: ’Twas in the moon of wintertime, when all the birds had fled, That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead; Before their light the stars grew dim, and wandering hunters heard the hymn. Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, In excelsis Gloria. Within a lodge of broken bark, the tender babe was found, A ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round; And as the hunter braves drew nigh, the Angel song rang loud and high. Jesus your … Gloria. The earliest moon of wintertime is not so round and fair, As was the ring of glory on the helpless Infant there.

302

Notes to pages 135–46

The chiefs from far before him knelt, with gifts of fox and beaver pelt. Jesus your … Gloria. O children of the forest free, O sons of Manitou, The Holy Child of earth and heav’n is born today for you. Come kneel before the Radiant Boy who brings you beauty, peace and joy. Jesus your … Gloria. 132 Resumé of Morley Calvert, 1985. The autograph score is dated 10 December 1968. 133 These passages establish a timbral contrast between the cylindrical brass instruments (trumpet and trombone) and the warmer sound of the conical brass (horns, baritone, and tuba). This contrast would have been very familiar to Calvert through his experience with brass bands, which have a predominance of conical instruments in contrast to the trombones. 134 The second of these carols, “Il est né,” is a re-scoring of the Danse Villageoise, the final movement from Suite from the Monteregian Hills. 135 Concert program, International Staff Band, International (William Booth Memorial) Training College, 25 November 1969, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 14. 136 Rosehill Music has an archival autograph full score. For a nominal fee, they generously provided the author with a copy, which made the analysis of the work considerably easier. This score is preserved in the Morley Calvert Research Collection at McMaster University, MCF –Mu . 137 Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15, 23. 138 Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 8 June 2016. 139 Graham Young, interview by author, Hamilton, 18 August 2016. 140 Calvert’s sketches also include an orchestral arrangement of Chanson Mélcolique from Suite from the Monteregian Hills. The sketch is complete in a two-line score with instrumental cues, but the arrangement apparently was never finished. 141 Concert program, The Lakeshore Concert Band, 9 December 1971. 142 North Winds III: Canadian Wind Band Music, University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble, F. Linklater, cond., University of Manitoba CD , 2011. 143 The Mystery of Christmas, The Elora Festival Singers, N. Edison, cond., Naxos 8.554179, 1997. 144 North Winds IV: Canadian Wind Band Music, University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble, F. Linklater, cond., University of Manitoba CD , 2013. 145 “Grand Climax: Chief of the Staff Leads Finale of Montreal’s 75th Year,” The War Cry, no. 3916 (12 December 1959), 9, 16. 146 “Centenary Spring Festival Presented in Massey Hall,” The War Cry, no. 4200 (22 May 1965), 9.

Notes to pages 146–51

303

147 “New York Staff Band, Male Chorus Presents Unique Concert in Valley,” The Evening Times (Sayre, Pennsylvania), 28 April 1969, 5. 148 Calvert’s lecture notes, probably for a class at Mohawk College, Hamilton, 1989–91. 149 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011 and Lianne (Calvert) Macgregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. 150 Carl Merkel, interview by author, Ottawa, 23 June 2011. 151 Letter from Brian Bowen (Bandmaster New York Staff Band) to Florence Lewis Calvert, 18 September 1991, MCF –Mu , Box 5, File 4; Concert program, International Staff Band, International (William Booth Memorial) Training College, 25 November 1969, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 14. 152 Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15, 23. 153 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011 and Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. 154 Sarah Fischer (1896–1975) was a Montreal impresario. She had had a professional career as a soprano; after retirement. she established a series of competitions and concerts in the Ritz Carleton ballroom that featured young musicians. These events provided important launching pads for the careers of many young performers from the Montreal area, including Maureen Forrester (Forrester, Out of Character, 59.) 155 Thomas Archer, “Fischer Series Begins,” The Gazette, 31 October 1961, 15. 156 Olga Calvert, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013 and Christine (Calvert) Skippen, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013; author’s personal communication with Art Brewer, 2 May 2016. CHAP TE R FOUR

1 “Lord Elgin Welcomed to Town by Barrie’s First School Band,” The Examiner, 28 April 1978, 2; author’s personal communication with Mark Fisher (son of W.A. Fisher), 1 May 2016. 2 Laurentian Moods is available from the Canadian Music Centre and has been recorded: Northern Winds, Toronto Wind Orchestra, T. Gomes, cond., Naxos CD 8.572248, 2009. Unfortunately, Fisher disliked Freedman’s composition, claiming it was “too orchestral” in concept (Author’s personal correspondence with Harry Freedman, 14 March 1993). Such an observation would not be considered a criticism today. 3 Commemorative program, “A Reception to Honour Dr W.A. Fisher on the Occasion of His Retirement after 35 Years at Barrie District Central Collegiate,” 4 June 1972. 4 McGregor, Barrie Central Collegiate Band, 91.

304

Notes to pages 151–5

5 Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15, 23. 6 Ibid. 7 Olga Calvert, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013 and Christine (Calvert) Skippen, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013. 8 Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011 and Lianne (Calvert) MacGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. 9 Olga Calvert, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013 and Christine (Calvert) Skippen, interview by author, Barrie, Ontario, 25 June 2013. 10 W.K. Walls, “New Conductor Continues Collegiate Band Quality,” The Examiner, 1 February 1973, 3. 11 Variations on America (God Save the Queen in Canada) was composed for organ by Charles Ives. It was orchestrated by William Schuman, and William E. Rhoads transcribed Schuman’s orchestration for band. 12 “Mark of 90 Wins Kiwanis Bach Competition,” The Globe and Mail, 19 February 1973, 12. For the Challenge Class, each band submitted a list of works it was prepared to play, and the adjudicator chose which would be performed when the group was onstage, ready to play. Every group usually had one particular piece that it preferred and played best, but there was no guarantee that work would be selected. 13 “Barrie Band and Listowel Choir Draw High Praise at Kiwanis Music Festival,” The Globe and Mail, 18 February 1974, 10; “Kiwanis Festival: Barrie Schools Continue Top Success,” The Globe and Mail, 19 February 1974, 12. 14 McGregor, Barrie Central Collegiate Band, 91. 15 “Central Band Sweeps 4 Classes at Festival,” The Examiner, 17 February 1975, 1. 16 “Conducted Central to Win: Calvert a Bonus for Barrie,” Barrie Banner, 7 April 1976, 12. 17 The International Band Festival at Kerkrade, Holland, occurs generally every four years. 18 “Band Is Denied a Grant to Defend Europe Title,” The Globe and Mail, 7 May 1974, 13. 19 “Central Band Invited to UK Youth Festival,” The Examiner, 24 April 1975, 3; “Festival has a Who’s Who,” South Wales Echo, 5 August 1975, 7. 20 Muriel Leeper, “Barrie Collegiate Band: Contrasts Feature of Album,” The Examiner, 24 September 1976, 7A. 21 “City’s Award-winning Band Makes Special Visit Today,” The Examiner, 11 July 1978, 1. 22 Andy Welsman, “Central Collegiate Band Captures Silver Medal,” Barrie Banner, 10 July 1985, 16, 26. 23 Mike Garratty, “Central Bids Fond Farewell to the Leader of the Band,” The Examiner, 16 January 1986, 3. 24 McGregor, “Calvert, Morley.”

Notes to pages 155–6

305

25 “Band Leader among the Elite,” The Examiner, 24 March 1982, 3. 26 The American Bandmasters Association, “Lest We Forget: Membership History 2016,” http://americanbandmasters.org/pdfs/Lest-We-Forget.pdf. (Accessed 21 April 2016; page discontinued.) 27 Jeff Gowan, “Calvert Named to Bandmaster Association,” Barrie Banner, 6 June 1980, 5. 28 Martin Boundy of London, Ontario, is another Canadian high school band director to be elected to the aBa (in 1961). 29 Calvert was to say later that he took on these extra positions “to give him an interest after retirement.” (Andy Welsman, “Band Leader Met Challenge,” Barrie Banner, 8 May 1985, 15, 23.) 30 Olga Calvert, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013 and Christine (Calvert) Skippen, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013; letter from Morley Calvert to Dale Barrett (clerk of session, St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church), 23 January 1987. 31 Rosanne McCabe, “King Edward Choir Director Honoured for 25 Years’ Work,” The Examiner, 2 June 1976, 6. 32 “In concert – King Edward Choir,” Barrie Banner, 5 April 1978, 8. 33 Sharon Brown, “An Evening of Music – Full House,” Barrie Banner, 7 December 1977, 12. 34 Calvert’s daughter, Christine, was born in January 1979, and by coincidence, the entire family – Morley, Olga, and Christine – were in hospital at the same time. Because of the recovery period after his surgery, Calvert had the opportunity to be with Christine during the first few months of her life – something he cherished. (Olga Calvert, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013 and Christine [Calvert] Skippen, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013.) 35 Concert program, “Christmas from Other Lands,” King Edward Choir, 24 November 1984. 36 Andy Welsman, “Barrie Loses Calvert’s Talents,” Barrie Banner, 13 May 1987, 13. 37 Paul Stein, “Choir Lives up to Expectations,” The Examiner, 28 November 1986, 10. Richard E. Holz (1914–1986) was a prominent Salvationist and a friend of Calvert. He directed the New York Staff Band and Male Chorus for eighteen years and was well known for his compositions and arrangements, as well as for his considerable capability as an administrator of Salvation Army affairs (Merritt, Historical Dictionary, 228–9). 38 Paul Stein, “Choir Sings Praises That Delight the Ear,” The Examiner, 12 May 1987, 8. 39 Andy Welsman, “Barrie Loses Calvert’s Talents,” Barrie Banner, 13 May 1987, 13. 40 “Band Commissions Presented,” The War Cry, no. 4674 (22 June 1974), 7; “Musical Salute of North Toronto Citadel,” The War Cry, no. 4876 (6 May 1978), 13.

306

Notes to pages 157–63

41 “Earlscourt Band Considered Best,” Barrie Banner, 16 April 1975, 4. 42 “Memorial Concert,” The Gazette, 24 October 1980, 82. 43 Letter from Peter Wilson (Rosehill Music Publishing Co. Ltd) to Morley Calvert, 31 October 1980. 44 “An Evening of Brass and Organ,” The War Cry, no. 5185 (7 April 1984), 10. 45 Letter from Brian Bowen (Bandmaster, New York Staff Band) to Florence Lewis Calvert, 18 September 1991, MCF –Mu , Box 5, File 4. 46 Captain Jack Barr, “City Roundabout: London, Ontario, The Place Where It All Began,” The War Cry, no. 4251 (14 May 1966), 2. 47 “Ontario West Welcomes Leaders,” The War Cry, no. 5242 (11 May 1985), 7; Stan Ewing, “Celebrating 125 Years of Banding,” Theme Online (Salvation Army Corps Ministries Department for Canada and Bermuda Territory), 28 July 2008, 2, www.themeonline.ca/2008/celebrating-125-years-of-banding. 48 A similar cluster appeared as early as in the second-last bar of the Canadian Folk Song Suite (or Suite on Canadian Folk Songs) 1967, and recurs again in Air Force Overture, 1989. 49 At the time of writing, Eighth Note Publications, Markham, Ontario, was considering publishing both versions. 50 Letter from Peter Wilson (Rosehill Music Publishing Co. Ltd) to Morley Calvert, 31 October 1980. 51 Concert program, Barrie Central Collegiate Band, 16 May 1979. The score to the concert band version of Three Scottish Songs was missing for more than three decades. It was located at Barrie Central Collegiate in January 2015 by Lisa Perry, band director at the school and a former Calvert student. 52 The Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment is the oldest highland regiment in Canada. It was established in Montreal in 1862, drawing on the historic Scottish Black Watch founded in 1739 to keep peace in the highlands. It served as an active regiment within the Canadian Forces until 1969 and since that time has been a reserve regiment based in Montreal. See the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada) website, www.blackwatchcanada.com. (Accessed 10 October 2016.) The Black Watch Association supported both regimental pipes and drums and a concert band for many years, but in the 1950s, the concert band became a civilian, rather than a militia, organization. Considering the Black Watch Association’s Scottish heritage, it is hardly surprising that it would have been interested in a work using Scottish folk songs. In 1996, the Black Watch Association removed its support from the concert band, and the group became the 306 (Maple Leaf ) Wing Concert Band sponsored by the Air Force Association of Canada. The band continues to concertize in and around Montreal (Hunter, “The 306 (Maple Leaf ) Wing Concert Band,” 65–6.) 53 Lewis and Uist are both islands of the Outer Hebrides, and the text of “Westering Home” describes returning to Islay, an island of the Inner Hebrides. 54 See homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islaywestering.htm (site discontinued).

Notes to pages 163–88

307

55 Three of his most important concert band works, Suite on Canadian Folk Songs, Thameside, and Jesous Ahatonhia (’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime), were arranged, or written, for the Lakeshore Concert Band while he was the group’s conductor, 1967–72. He also wrote arrangements of “O Canada” and “God Save the Queen” for them. 56 Nancy McGregor, “Morley Calvert,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, last edited 16 December 2013, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/morleycalvert-emc. 57 Gillis, “Study Guide, Romantic Variations,” 62. 58 Keillor, Weinzweig, 46. 59 Shand, “Canadian Music Centre.” 60 This was probably the time, after he had abruptly left London, when his family did not know where he was. 61 Calvert probably meant that by writing in nineteenth-century style he ran the risk of his work being dismissed as insignificant by scholars and critics. He seems to have had a special fondness for the music of Tchaikovsky. In 1974–75, the Barrie Central Band played a transcription of the finale from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, which won them a gold medal at the Kerkrade Festival in the summer of 1974 and first place awards in Kiwanis Music Festivals in Toronto and Stratford in the spring of 1975. They played it again at the First International Festival of Youth Brass and Symphonic Bands in Cardiff, Wales, in August 1975. Of the piece, Calvert remarked: “Many of the students have expressed their satisfaction in playing this piece and the genuine thrill they feel every time they perform it. The number does the same thing for me, and it really draws enthusiastic reactions from the audiences” (“Central Performs Winning Numbers,” Barrie Banner, 30 April 1975, 10). Calvert also began arranging the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 for band, presumably for Barrie Central but did not complete the transcription. 62 Calvert’s lecture notes, probably for a class at Mohawk College, Hamilton, 1989–91. 63 Tchaikovsky often uses similar figures at climaxes and during accelerandos. 64 Author’s personal correspondence with Master Corporal Brent Besner, music director of 306 (Maple Leaf ) Wing Concert Band, Montreal, 13 October 2016. 65 Burch-Pesses, Canadian Band Music, 34. 66 Kate Harries, “Calvert Wraps Up a Full and Rewarding Career,” Barrie Banner, 27 January 1986, 13. 67 John Bridges, “Quintet Impresses in Mixed Program,” The Tennessean [Nashville, Tennessee], 4 December 1982, 34. 68 Kinder, “The John Adaskin Project,” 206–11, 213–14. 69 According to some sources, the New West Brass (1979–85) from Saskatchewan also requested a brass quintet from Calvert, who declined the commission because of health problems and family issues.

308

Notes to pages 188–98

70 Author’s personal communication with Douglas “Pace” Sturdevant, 1 June 2019. 71 McGregor/Gardiner, “Contemporary Showcase.” 72 “Contemporary Showcase,” Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects, acnmp.ca/contemporary-showcase. (Accessed 12 December 2016.) 73 Cavlovic, Program Notes for Brass Feast, 1. 74 “Calvert to Direct Youth Band,” The Examiner, 26 April 1979, 11; “Calvert Guest Artist at Weekend Workshop,” The Examiner, 6 May 1980, 6. 75 Martin Boundy was born in England but emigrated to Canada in 1923. During his teens, he studied and performed on several instruments in southern Ontario, ultimately settling in London. By the 1930s, he held important church organist positions and was conducting bands and choirs. He enlisted in the rCaF in 1941, was appointed conductor of the rCaF Central Band, and served with distinction overseas. He returned to London in 1946 and assumed a major role in the music making in the city, earning the nickname “Mr Music.” He was named supervisor of instrumental music in the London schools and taught for many years at Catholic Central High School. In addition, he conducted several local community bands, the London Civic Symphony, and local choirs. Fanshawe College appointed him director of music in 1969, a position he held until his retirement in 1978. Boundy had an enormous impact on music and music education in London and Ontario. He was the recipient of many awards, including election to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 1961. (Downs, “Boundy, Martin.”) 76 Funds from the Ontario Arts Council grant supported the appearance at the Workshop of the US Army Brass Quintet in 1979 (“Top Brass,” The London Free Press, 30 April 1979, B2), and the Elmer Iseler Singers and the Canadian Brass in 1980 (Richard Newman, “180 Selected for Band, Choir Workshop at Fanshawe,” The London Free Press, 22 April 1980, B7). 77 As printed in the published score by Gordon V. Thompson Limited, Toronto, 1980. 78 Concert program, “Combined Concert of Eastview Concert Choir and Central Collegiate Concert Band,” 14 May 1980; “Impressive Guest Performance by Eastview Concert Choir,” The Examiner, 16 May 1980, 6. 79 Concert program, Barrie Central Collegiate Band, 16 May 1979. 80 Richard Newman, “180 Selected for Band, Choir Workshop at Fanshawe,” The London Free Press, 22 April 1980, B7; Richard Newman, “Unity Anthem Closes Young Musicians’ Weekend,” The London Free Press, 5 May 1980, C 1. 81 “Calvert to Direct Youth Band,” The Examiner, 26 April 1979, 11. 82 According to The Examiner, Calvert was commissioned by the US Army Brass Quintet for a piece for brass quintet and band, undoubtedly because of their association at the Fanshawe College Workshop in 1979. The paper also claims that he was asked to write a work for the York Winds (woodwind quintet) and

Notes to pages 198–206

83 84 85 86 87

88

309

saxophonist Paul Brodie. (“Calvert Guest Artist at Weekend Workshop,” The Examiner, 6 May 1980, 6.) No evidence appears to exist indicating that Calvert wrote, or even worked on, either of these purported commissions. McGregor, “Calvert, Morley.” Canadian composer Healey Willan was also fond of root-position, major-chord fanfares as may be easily observed in his orchestral and band music (Kinder, Healey Willan, 14, 48, 131, 154, 170, 174). Holz’s setting of Sleep, Holy Babe was published in the War Cry in December 1972 (“Sleep, Holy Babe,” The War Cry, no. 4595 [16 December 1972], 7). It was performed at Calvert’s own funeral at the Hamilton Citadel on 9 September 1991 (Funeral Services of Morley Frederick Calvert, Hamilton Temple Corps, 9 September 1991, 10:30 a.m.). The words are: Lord, let me share that grace of thine Wherewith Thou didst sustain The burden of the fruitful vine, The gift of buried grain. Who does with Thee, O Word divine, Shall rise and live again. As noted above, the tune that Calvert employed in his setting was written by Ludwig (Louis) Spohr (1784–1859). This tune is also associated with other texts in the Salvation Army Tune Book. A hymn using the same melody appears in the Presbyterian hymn book (“Ho, ye that thirst”), but it employs an entirely different text (Fitch, Book of Praise, 392), making it unlikely that Calvert’s setting was intended for St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. C HAP TER F IVE

1 Kate Harries, “Calvert Wraps Up a Full and Rewarding Career,” Barrie Banner, 27 January 1968, 13; Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. 2 Kate Harries, “Calvert Wraps Up a Full and Rewarding Career,” Barrie Banner, 27 January 1968, 13. 3 Kathy Stunden, “Kerkrade Competition Promises to Be Tough,” The Examiner, 13 May 1985, 6. 4 Picture of the 1981 band in the archives of the Barrie Central Collegiate Band. 5 Kate Harries, “Calvert Wraps Up a Full and Rewarding Career,” Barrie Banner, 27 January 1968, 13. The Edmonton Oilers professional hockey team won the National Hockey League championship, the Stanley Cup, in 1984, ’85, ’87, ’88, and ’90. 6 “Central Band Takes Top Spot,” The Examiner, 4 February 1985, 1. 7 Letter from Edward P. Mayhew [lawyer] to Morley Calvert, 27 February 1990, MCF–mu, Box 5, File 1.

310

Notes to pages 206–8

8 Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. 9 Olga Calvert, interview by author, Ontario, 25 June 2013 and Christine (Calvert) Skippen, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013. 10 Andy Welsman, “Barrie Loses Calvert’s Talents,” Barrie Banner, 13 May 1987, 13. 11 Kate Harries, “Calvert Wraps Up a Full and Rewarding Career,” Barrie Banner, 27 January 1986, 13. 12 Letters of Morley Calvert, November 1985–January 1987. 13 Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. 14 Andy Welsman, “Barrie Loses Calvert’s Talents,” Barrie Banner, 13 May 1987, 13. 15 Graham Young, interview by author, Hamilton, 18 August 2016. 16 Weston Silver Band website, http://westonsilverband.ca/history. (Accessed 7 May 2016.) 17 Concert program, Music of North America, Hannaford Street Silver Band, cond. Morley Calvert, 22 October 1989; author’s personal communication with Raymond Tizzard, manager of the Hannaford Street Silver Band, 9 May 2016. 18 Vik Kirsch, “Retired or Not, Guelph Man Still Teaches His Music,” The Daily Mercury (Guelph, Ontario), 6 May 1989. 19 He had performed the Finale of the Kalinnikov symphony, in the transcription by Glenn Cliffe Bainum, with the Barrie Central Band (Andy Welsman, “Central Collegiate Band Captures Silver Medal,” Barrie Banner, 10 July 1985, 16, 26). 20 Hugh Fraser, “Martin Beaver Soars on Violin but Symphony Needs a Firm Hand,” The Hamilton Spectator, 13 November 1989, D 5. 21 Concert program, A Spring Pops, Wellington Winds, 1 April 1990. 22 Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. 23 See “Competition Festivals” and Mark Miller, “MusicFest Canada” in Encyclopedia of Music in Canada, 2nd ed., edited by Helmut Kallmann, Gilles Potvin, and Kenneth Winters, 288–9 and 906–7 (Toronto, Buffalo, London: University of Toronto Press, 1992). 24 Holz, “Champion.” 25 Donald Rosenberg, “The Allegheny Brass to Host Band Contest,” The Pittsburgh Press, 20 March 1990, B 9. 26 Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. 27 Vik Kirsch, “Retired or Not, Guelph Man Still Teaches His Music,” The Daily Mercury, 6 May 1989. 28 Lianne (Calvert) McGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. Ms McGregor did not specify the help Calvert was receiving, whether counselling or medication. His struggle with depression is an intriguing topic about which little is known outside of the family. Grace Calvert commented that “people

Notes to pages 208–18

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

311

see only all this beautiful music, but he didn’t have an easy life” (Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011). When the topic was raised with other sources, they invariably expressed surprise and had no knowledge of his difficulties. Obviously, Calvert hid his challenges very well from those outside of his immediate family. Margaret (Calvert) Epps, interview by author, Montreal, 28 July 2013. Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011. Dr Christopher Lewis died in a car accident in September 1992 (Gillmor, Eagle Minds, 272). Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. Ibid.; David Buckley, interview by author, Hamilton, 22 December 2010. Graham Young, interview by author, Hamilton, 18 August 2016; Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. Olga Calvert, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013 and Christine (Calvert) Skippen, interview by author, Barrie, 25 June 2013. Postcard, Friday, 2 August 1991, from Morley Calvert to Eric Calvert, MCF – mu, Box 5, File 2. Slonimsky, Baker’s Dictionary, 2037. See Salvation Army Song Book, 1954 ed., no. 764, 214; The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada, 1971 ed., no. 77. Author’s personal correspondence with Elaine Rusk, vice president, and Jared Steuernol, sales administrator – publishing, Frederick Harris Music, 9 May 2016 and 25 April 2016, respectively. Hymnary.org. (Accessed 27 December 2016.) The autograph score displays the dedication: “Dedicated to the Glory of God, and the congregation and choir of St Stephen-on-the-Mount, Hamilton.” Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. The exception is the Sursum Corda in one of the versions, where the congregational responses to the Celebrant are harmonized. The R.A.F. (R.C.A.F.) March Past was written by Henry Walford Davies (1869–1941) and George Dyson (1883–1964), two well-trained British musicians and composers who were associated with the Royal Air Force during the First World War. Davies wrote the two strains of the march and Dyson added the trio. It was adopted as the official march of the raF after the First World War. (Royal Air Force-Royal Air Force Music Services, “A Brief History of raF Music Services.” www.raf.mod.uk/rafmusic/aboutus/historyofrafmusic services.cfm. [Accessed 30 December 2016.]) In 1943, permission was granted for it to become the R.C.A.F. March Past as well. (Royal Canadian Air Force, “On Windswept Heights–Air Force Life–Royal Canadian Air Force.” www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/on-windswept-heights-2/72-heritage.page. [Accessed 30 December 2016.]) According to an unconfirmed legend, airmen claimed that the lyrical trio reminded them of the weightlessness they felt

312

45 46 47 48 49 50

51

Notes to pages 219–32

when flying.The Dam Busters March was written by prominent English composer of light music Eric Coates (1886–1957) as the theme music for the 1955 British war film of the same name, which dealt with raF attacks on power dams in the industrialized Rühr Valley of Germany in 1943. The music for the Airman’s Prayer, the official hymn of the rCaF , was written in 1942 by eminent Canadian singer Wishart Campbell (1905–1983) to words by Squadron Leader G.L. Creed. The hymn was quickly incorporated into the R.C.A.F. Hymnal (Moogk, “Campbell, Wishart.”) Author’s personal correspondence with Sgt Michelle Ash, librarian of the Central Band of the Canadian Forces, Ottawa, 7 July 2016. Vic Kirsch. “Retired or Not, Guelph Man Still Teaches His Music,” The Daily Mercury, 6 May 1989. Canada Remembers, Le Canada se souvient, Central Band of the Canadian Forces, cond, Major D. Bouchard, CD , Bandleader Military Recordings, BNa 5105. Concert program, 20 Years Anniversary Celebration, Eastview School Orchestra, Joel Miller, cond., 5 May 1990. “City Music Teacher Dies,” The Examiner, 12 September 1991, 3. Author’s personal communication from Joel Miller, 9 July 2013. Mr Miller especially noted: the work’s scoring that required winds, strings, and percussion to develop independence; the simple meter changes; and the use of hemiola as particularly effective teaching opportunities. Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013 and from the Order of Service, Funeral Services for Morley Frederick Calvert, The Salvation Army Corps, Hamilton Temple Corps, 9 September 1991. PO STSC RI PT

1 Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013. 2 He continues to be well remembered. Florence Lewis Calvert reported on an unusual encounter she had in Wakefield, Quebec, in September 2016. As she and a friend were walking to an event, they heard an older gentleman playing a flugelhorn. When she complimented him on his playing, he was surprised that she recognized his instrument and even more surprised that she had been married to Morley Calvert. He proceeded to rhyme off all the music by Calvert that he knew. Her friend observed that he couldn’t have been more impressed “if you [Florence] had been related to God.” (Author’s personal correspondence with Florence Lewis Calvert, 14 September 2016.) 3 When he lived in Guelph, Calvert had a striped tabby cat, which he deliberately called “Spot” (Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 10 July 2013). As a Montreal Canadiens fan living in Barrie, Ontario, he

Notes to pages 232–6

4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22

313

enjoyed needling fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs (“City Music Teacher Dies,” The Examiner, 12 September 1991, 3). Alison Merkel, “Calvert Composes to Give Hope to World,” The Examiner, 7 January 1980, 5. Grace Calvert, interview by author, Ottawa, 24 June 2011, and Lianne (Calvert) McGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. Diary: Morley Calvert, 25 September–23 October 1945, MCF –mu, Box 5, File 9. Lianne (Calvert) McGregor, interview by author, Ottawa, 22 June 2011. Dr Joan Russell, interview by author, Vancouver, 15 November 2015. One of Calvert’s favourite admonitions to performers was: “In Math, 96% is a good grade. In Music that means that out of every 100 notes you play, four are wrong. In the course of a rehearsal you might play 3,000 notes, which means that there would be 120 wrong notes, per person during that rehearsal!” He could, at times, be quite abrasive when performers did not live up to his expectations. Graham Young remembered him saying to various sections of the Weston Silver Band: “Do you like how you’re playing right now?” or “Would you pay to hear what you just played?” (Graham Young, interview by author, Hamilton, 18 August 2016.) Lisa Perry, interview by author, Barrie, Ontario, 25 June 2013. Florence Lewis Calvert, interview by author, Hamilton, 8 June 2016. Choral conductor Elmer Iseler was also admired for his ability to prepare scores without the use of a keyboard (Pitman, Elmer Iseler, 244–5). Milot, “Champagne, Claude.” Pitman, Louis Applebaum, 415. Cherney, Harry Somers, 58. Pitman, Music Makers, 154–6. Pitman, Louis Applebaum, 170, 235, 246, 255, 355–6. Pitman, Elmer Iseler, 68, 74, 76, 89–91, 95, 101, 106–7, 109, 121. Alison Merkel, “Calvert Composes Music to Give Hope to the World,” The Examiner, 7 January 1980, 5. Bruneau/Duke, Jean Coulthard, 78. Dixon, Harry Freedman, 156–7. Eckhardt, Music from Within, 135, 139, 153. “Calvert Guest Artist at Weekend Workshop,” The Examiner, 6 May 1980, 6.The York Winds was a woodwind quintet founded in Toronto in 1972 and served as ensemble-in-residence at York University, 1975–80. The group toured widely in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Israel, and released five recordings. They commissioned new works and gave the premiere performances of many Canadian compositions before disbanding in 1988. (McGregor, “York Winds.”) Brian Ring, interview by author, Woodstock, Ontario, 29 July 2013.

314

Notes to pages 236–8

23 Calvert also transcribed the second movement of Suite from the Monteregian Hills for brass band, but this movement has not been published and perhaps never performed. The only movement of Suite from the Monteregian Hills that was not reused in another medium is the third movement, Valse Ridicule. 24 Calvert’s notes for a lecture on composition, undated. 25 Eckhardt, Music from Within, 133. 26 Brian Ring, interview by author, Woodstock, Ontario, 29 July 2013. 27 See the Wilfrid Heaton Trust, www.wilfridheatontrust.co.uk/biography.aspx. (Accessed 3 June 2019.) 28 Graham Young, Hamilton, interview by author, 18 August 2016. 29 Cherney, Harry Somers, 52. 30 Keillor, Weinzweig, 16–17. 31 Schabas, Sir Ernest MacMillan, 94, 97. 32 Pitman, Music Makers, 62. 33 Schuller, Musings, 183. 34 Pitman, Music Makers, 254.

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Index Adaskin, John, 186; John Adaskin Project (jaP ), 179, 185–7 Allen, Captain Ray, 77 Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects (aCNMP ), 188 American Bandmasters Association (aBa ), 155, 169 Amsterdam, Holland, 154; Rembrandt Night Watch, 154; Rijksmuseum, 154 Anderson, Leroy, 35, 45; Sandpaper Ballet, 35; Serenata, 286n78; Trumpeter’s Lullaby, 35 Anderson, Robert B., 144 Anglican Church of Canada, 217; Anglican Hymn Book, 213; The Book of Alternative Services, 217; Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada, 311n38 Anhalt, István, 87; Credo, 87 Applebaum, Louis, 5, 14, 28, 233–4, 280n18; Du Hast Diamenten und Perlen, 28 Arnold, Malcolm, 298n67 Ash, Sgt Michelle, 312n45 Aspen Brass Quintet, 95 Audoire, Norman, 18, 27–8, 33, 49, 54, 81, 86, 279–80n6; Montreal Citadel March, 27, 50, 157; A Scottish Melody, 52 Ayorama Wind Quintet, 296–7n49

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 4, 43, 107; Die Kunst der Fuge, 107, 277n5; In Thee Is Gladness, 45 Bagley, Edwin, E., 90; National Emblem March, 90 Ball, Eric, 27; The Pilgrim Way, 27 Ballantine, Leonard, 92 Bangkok, Thailand, 289–90n121 Bannerman, John R., 163 Barbeau, Marius, 87, 96; Chansons folkloriques françaises au Canada (with Marguerite d’Harcourt), 97; Folk Songs of French Canada (with Edward Sapir), 103 Barber, Samuel, 13 Barnes, Milton, 87; Pinocchio, 87 Barrie, Ontario, 4, 26, 151–2, 204–6, 208; Barrie Banner, 5, 53, 117, 156, 179, 205, 307n61, 310n19; Barrie Central Collegiate, 49, 149–50, 202, 205, 232–3; Barrie Central Collegiate Band, 26, 142, 150–5, 162, 197, 206, 231, 233, 306n51, 307n61, 310n19; Barrie Central Collegiate Band Series, 150, 157; Barrie Central Collegiate Orchestra, 150; Barrie North Collegiate, 228; Central United Church, 155; Eastview Secondary School Concert Choir, 197; Eastview Secondary School Orchestra, 228, 243, 312n48; Examiner, 152,

322

Index

156, 235, 243, 308–9n82, 313n21; King Edward Choir, 155–6, 202, 206; Orchestra Parents’ Association of Eastview Secondary School, 228; St Andrews Presbyterian Church, 155, 202, 211, 216, 309n88 Bearchell, William, 27; Brooklyn Citadel, 27 Beaver, Martin, 207 Beecroft, Norma, 87; Elegy and Two Went to Sleep, 87 Beethoven, Ludwig van, 45, 154; King Stephen Overture, 45 Bennett, Robert Russell, 37; Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, 43; Suite of Old American Dances, 37; Symphonic Songs for Band, 37, 90 Berandol Music, 95, 107, 196; Cee & Cee Music, 95 Berlin, Boris, 28, 282n47 Besner, Master Corporal Brent, 307n64 Bilodeau, Julian, 97; La fantaisie du pendu (The Hangman’s Reel), 97 Bissell, Keith, 120 Blackburn, Lesley, 53 Black Dyke Mills Band, 6 Blair, Grant, 52 Blake, William, 216; Songs of Innocence, 216 Bloom, Eric, 238; The Everyday Work of Art: Awakening the Extraordinary in Your Daily Life, 238 Boon, Captain Brindley, 81, 294n3 Boudreau, Robert Austin, 36; American Wind Symphony, 36 Boundy, Martin, 196, 305n28, 308n75; “Mr Music,” 308n75 Bowes, Captain Ray, 86; Sunshine Mountain, 86 Bradbury, William, 215–16 Brahms, Johannes, 107, 184; Symphony No. 4, 111 Brass Band of Columbus, 208 Brébeuf, Jean de, 131 Brewer, Art, 89

Bridges, John, 111 British Broadcasting Corporation, 141, 148 Britten, Benjamin, 120 Brodie, Paul, 150, 236, 308–9n82 Brott, Alexander, 298n67 Brown, Sharon, 156 Bruckner, Anton, 173; Symphony No. 7, 173 Buckley, David, 130 Buckley, Robert, 144; Fantasy on the Huron Carol, 144 Buford, William, 51 Burditt, Brian, 231 Cadman, Charles Wakefield, 286n78; At Dawning, 286n78 Calvert, Eric, 3, 34, 57, 77, 148, 205, 210 Calvert, Florence Lewis (Elliott), 141, 208–10, 217, 230–1, 232–3, 312n51, 312n2 Calvert, Grace (Simpson), 27, 29, 34, 42, 55, 58, 62, 86, 89, 92–3, 147–8, 152, 208, 230, 232, 310–11n28 Calvert, Margaret (Leather), 17–18, 26 Calvert, Margaret (m: Epps), 18 Calvert, Morley Frederick, 19, 39–40, 52, 92, 152, 156, 209; “accompaniment variation,” 9, 118; adjudicator, 206–8; artistic aesthetic, 14, 85, 89, 154–5, 238; Bachelor of Music, 51; birth, 17; chromaticism, 11, 14, 20, 25, 31, 61, 66, 68–78, 203, 223–4, 237; clusters, 9, 130, 158, 185, 219; compositional “fingerprints,” 9, 20, 224; conductor, 27, 39–42, 44–5, 50–1, 54–7, 61, 81, 207, 219; counterpoint, 11, 23, 33, 64, 83–5, 108, 110–11, 114, 120, 121–2, 135–6, 164–5, 173, 177–8, 203–4, 214; death, 207, 230–1, 243; diatonicism, 9, 20, 58–61, 159, 173–4; divorce, 152, 206, 208, 210; “expanded tonality,” 6, 9, 158, 201; fanfares, 58–9, 98, 119, 145–6, 160, 164–5, 177, 200–1, 212, 219, 224, 228; funeral, 77, 231, 309n86; harmonic

Index practices, 29–32, 58–61, 66, 98–9, 111, 122–3, 132–5, 6, 171, 178, 180–1, 189–90, 211–12, 214, 217–18; hemiola, 65, 98, 101, 110, 130, 230; humour, 19, 89, 100–1, 110, 180, 182–3, 188, 192; Licentiate in Music (School Teacher), 37; Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music, 18, 26, 50; marriage, 34, 152, 155, 209; melodies, 9–11, 22–5, 29–30, 170; modality, 10–11, 124, 178, 189, 216–17; Morley Calvert Fonds–McMaster University, 21, 58, 62, 228, 239, 243, 302n136; motivic development, 29, 32–3, 58, 71–8, 159, 180; near-atonality, 10–11, 78–80, 112, 180; organist, 26, 33, 49–50, 54; painting, 209–10, 232–3; parallelisms, 84, 123, 135, 137–8, 159, 189–91, 193, 195, 202; perfectionist, 232–3; as practical musician, 6, 9, 68, 218; rhythm, 11–13, 31–2, 112–13, 137, 159, 164, 180, 184, 193, 216, 224; as Salvationist, 4, 6, 17, 54–5, 68, 148, 156–7, 204, 210; Songster-Leader, 54, 77–8; tone painting, 31–2, 59–60, 64–5, 71, 75, 84–5, 121, 123, 200, 202; transitions, 9–10, 20, 30, 58, 159, 165, 200, 222; use of dissonance, 20, 24–5, 33–4, 60, 84, 98, 136, 181–2, 201; visit to New Zealand, 210, 230; Young People’s Sergeant-Major, 54 Calvert, Morley Frederick – Works: Air Force Overture, 219–28; “Aura Lee,” 146; Camp-O’Wood, 90–2; Canada For God, 61–2, 146, 201; Canadian Folk Song Suite/Suite on Canadian Folk Songs, 3, 6, 9, 11, 115–30, 148, 153, 159, 163, 179, 207, 236, 278n24, 307n55; A Congregational Eucharist, 217–18, 230; cornet trio, 21, 57; At the Cross there’s room, 146, 243; Dedication Overture, 228–30, 243; Draw Me Nearer, 146, 243; Faith Victorious, 94; Fantasia on “__________,” 7–8; Introduction and Scherzo, 179, 185, 187–8, 236; Introduction, Elegy and Caprice, 6,

323

10–12, 77, 179–85, 188, 208, 236; Irish, 62–4, 157, 292n171; Jesous Ahatonia, 7, 131–44, 156, 163, 301–2n131, 307n55; Jesus, Lover of My Soul, 10, 211, 213–16, 311n38; Joy, Freedom, Peace, 21, 28, 33, 146; The Junior Soldier, 67; Little lamb, who made thee, 216–17; “Loch Lomond,” 162; March: Camp L’Achigan, 55–6; March [Untitled], 21–5; Memories of Jackson’s Point, 19–21, 23–4, 32, 178; My All Is on the Altar, 6, 64–8, 81, 176, 292n176; My Life Must Be Christ’s Broken Bread, 202–4, 231, 309n87, 309n88; Nearer to the Cross, 82–5, 94; An Occasional Suite, 9–10, 12, 106–15, 179–80, 183–5, 236; For Our Transgressions: Meditative Study, 6, 68–78; Overture to a Joyous Occasion, 157–61; Reckon on Me, 57, 85, 116, 157; Romantic Variations, 156, 169–79, 207; Saviour, Like a Shepherd, 215–16; Selection: In His Name, 9, 28–33, 58; Selection – My Pilot’s Face, 67; “Sleep, Holy Babe,” 202; “Soldiers of Christ, arise,” 211–12; A Song for Our Time, 169, 196–202; St Agnus, 157; Stand Firm, 57–61; St James Citadel, 94–5, 243; Suite from the Monteregian Hills, 3–4, 6–7, 95–106, 110–11, 115–16, 118, 124, 131, 163, 191, 236, 302n134, 302n140, 314n23; Thameside, 144–6, 307n55; Three Dance Impressions, 10–11, 13, 188–96; Three Scottish Songs, 157, 162–8, 306n51; Two Canadian Christmas Carols, 131, 139, 141, 148, 157, 236; Walking with Jesus, 67; The Way of Salvation, 94; What a Friend We Have in Jesus, 78–80, 92, 146, 294n206 Calvert, Olga (Stathatos), 149, 152, 155, 206, 208, 210, 243 Calvert, Thomas Frederick (Fred), 17, 26 Cambridge, Ontario, 206; Wesley United Church, 206 Campbell, Wishart, 311–12n44

324

Index

Canada 150, 97 Canada Council, 6, 49, 188, 206 Canadian Band Directors’ Association, 155, 196–7 Canadian Brass, 150, 308n76 Canadian Centennial, 86–8, 115, 117, 120, 233; Centennial Commission, 87–8, 106; Expo 67, 86, 89, 93, 107, 236; Katimavik, 87; World Festival of Music, 87 Canadian Folk Music Society, 96 Canadian Forum, 103 Canadian League of Composers, 5–6 Canadian Music Centre (CMC ), 106, 169–70, 186–8, 198, 206 Canadian Music Educators Association (CMea ), 37, 186 Canadian National Exhibition band competition, 89, 151–2 Canadian Officers Training Corps band, 37 Canadian Opera Company, 88 Canadian Wind Band Repertory Project, 187 Cardiff, Wales, 154; First International Festival of Youth Brass and Symphonic Bands, 154, 307n61 Carman, Bliss, 88 carols, 96, 103, 105, 131–44 Cartier, Jacques, 100 Catelinet, Philip, 65; Weber, 65 Catherine Booth Hospital, 50 Cavlovic, David, 189 CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), 88, 131, 135, 234 Champagne, Claude, 105–6, 233; Danse villageoise, 105–6 Cherney, Brian, 237 Chevanelle, Serge, 94 Chicago, Illinois, 70; Chicago Music Institute: Central Territory Music Camp, 90; Chicago Staff Band, 70; Midwest National Band Conference, 151; Music Educators’ of America conference, 151

Chopin, Frédéric, 45; Ballad in G Minor, 45 Christopherson, Walter, 46 Clarke, Douglas, 43, 289–90n121 clogging, 105, 126–8 Coates, Eric, 311–12n44 Cohen, Leonard, 87 Coles, Bramwell, 63; Man of Sorrow, 63 Collingwood, Ontario, 207 Cologne, Germany, 154; Gothic cathedral, 154 Combs, Larry, 94 Condon, Captain Leslie, 83, 85 Contemporary Music Showcase Association, 188 Cooper, Cyril (Cy), 48, 93, 287n87 Cornwall, Ontario, 207 Costain, Pte. Percy, 53 Coulthard, Jean, 13, 97, 235; Canada Mosaic, 97 Coward, Noel, 44 Crane Limited, Montreal, 26–7 Creed, Squadron Leader G.L., 311–12n44 Creighton, Fred, 58 Cummings, Capt-Retd Timothy, 179 Czechoslovakia, 147; Prague Spring, 147 Davies, Henry Walford, 311–12n44 D-Day, 179 Dedrick, Art, 286n78; Londonderry Air, 286n78 Dello Joio, Norman, 153; Scenes from The Louvre, 153 Detroit, Michigan, 57; Detroit Citadel, 57; Music Educators National Conference, 151 d’Harcourt, Marguerite, 97; Chansons folkloriques françaises au Canada (with Marius Barbeau), 97 Dobson, Jean, 155 Douglas, Rev. Roy C., 49 Druckman, Jacob, 278n28; Aureole, 278n28 Duff, Arthur, 45

Index Dvořák Antonín, 156; Songs of Nature, op. 63, 156 Dyson, George, 311–12n44 Eastman Brass Quintet, 95 Eckhardt-Gramatté, S.C., 235, 237 Edison, Noel, 144 Edmonton, Alberta, 209; Edmonton Oilers, 206; University of Alberta, 209 Elgar, Edward, 50; The Music Makers, 50 Elora Singers, 144 Erickson, Frank, 35; Toccata for Band, 35 Esztergom, Hungary, 147–8 Ewald, Victor, 5, 277n5 Farnon, Robert, 153 fauxbourdon, 133 Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee, 234 Festival Singers, 87, 233–5, 300n106 fiddling, 103–6, 126–8, 298n68 First World War, 179, 311–12n44 Fisher, W. Allen, 150–2, 155; honorary doctorate, 151 Fleming, Robert, 120; Four Fantasias on Canadian Folk Themes, 120–1; Three Scenarios, 153 Flint, Michigan, 57; Songster Brigade, 57 folk songs, 9, 87, 95–106, 114–30, 162–3 Folkways Records, 96, 127–8 Forrester, Maureen, 4, 48–9 Foster, Stephen, 21 Fowke, Edith/Richard Johnston, 96, 300n110; Chansons de Quebec/Folk Songs of Quebec, 96, 121, 300n110 Frankenstein, Alfred, 5; San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Frederick Harris Music Co., 214 Freedman, Harry, 6, 233, 235, 280n18; Anerca: Three Eskimo Poems, 88; Laurentian Moods, 151, 303n2; Rose Latulippe, 298n68; Tangents, 87 Gagnon, Ernest, 96, 102, 300n110; Chansons populaires du Canada, 96, 300n110

325

Gaskin, Nora, 93 Gershwin, George, 43–4; Porgy and Bess, 45, 286n78 Gibbon, John Murray, 103 Gibbons, Roy W., 128 Gilbert and Sullivan, 19, 93, 280n18; The Gondoliers, 280n18; H.M.S. Pinafore, 19; Pirates of Penzance, 280n18; Yeomen of the Guard, 19, 38 Giovannini, Cesar, 94; Jubilance, 153; Overture in B-Flat, 94 Goldman, Edwin Franko, 56, 155; Goldman Band of New York, 56 Goltman, Frances, 57; Piano Clinic, 57 Goodier, Sergeant-Major William, 27, 82 Gould, Morton, 46 Grainger, Percy, 9, 118 Grant, Stewart, 93, 296–7n49; Shiva’s Dance, 296–7n49 Groesbeek, Holland, 154; Canadian War Cemetery, 154 Grundman, Clare, 35; American Folk Rhapsody, 35; Blue Tail Fly, 45, 286n78; A Walking Tune, 35 Guelph, Ontario, 156, 206–8; “ancestral home,” 18; Band Reunion, 18; Guelph Citadel, 18; Guelph Spring Festival, 219; Woodland Cemetery, 231 Hamilton, Ontario, 70, 130, 209; Christ Church Cathedral, 217; Dundas Valley School of Art, 209; Hamilton Citadel, 210, 231, 309n86; Hamilton Civic Concert Choir, 206–9; Hamilton Place, 157; Hamilton Spectator, 207; McMaster University, 237, 243; McMaster University Chamber Orchestra, 228; Meadowlands Citadel Band, 157; Mohawk College, 209; Southern Ontario Divisional Congress, 70; St Stephen-on-the-Mount Anglican Church, 209, 217, 230–1; Symphony Hamilton, 7, 141, 207, 210 hand clapping, 126, 128–9 Handel, George Frederic, 52; The Messiah, 52

326

Index

Handler, Richard, 128 Hart House String Quartet, 103 Haydn, Franz Joseph, 44; Concerto for Trumpet, 52; The Creation, 156; Orlando Paladino Overture, 44 Healey, Derek, 97; 6 Canadian Folk Songs, 97 Heaton, Wilfred, 237–8 Holst, Gustav, 13, 187, Second Suite in F, 37, 183; Suite in E-Flat, 90 Holz, Richard E., 156, 202, 305n37, 309n85; Sleep, Holy Babe, 156, 309n85 Holz, Ronald W., 29, 70, 77, 83 Hornsby, Richard, 150 Humperdinck, Engelbert, 90; Hansel and Gretel, 90 Hurricane Hazel, 41 Hutchison, Andrew, 217; Anglican Primate of Canada, 217 Imperial Tobacco Company, 50; “Canada 1937,” 50; “Canada 1938,” 50; Imperial Choir, 50; Imperial Singers of Montreal, 50–1; Imperial Symphony Orchestra, 50 Irons, Deidre, 235 Iseler, Elmer, 234–5; Elmer Iseler Singers, 308n76 Ives, Charles/William Schuman/William E. Rhodes, 153; Variations on America, 153, 304n11 Jakeway, Albert, 29; In His Name, 29–31, 52 Jeffries, Wayne, 277n2 Jesuit Relations, 104 John Hallett Chorale, 146 Jones, Greta, 45–6 Jones, Harrison, 19, 36–8, 40, 42 Kalinnikov, Vasily Sergeyevich, 207; Symphony No. 1, 207, 310n19 Kallmann, Helmut, 128 Karpeles, Maud, 120–1; Fifteen Folk Songs from Newfoundland, 120; Folk Songs from Newfoundland, 120

Keillor, Elaine, 97, 237 Kenney, George, 45, 286n78; Coat of Arms, 286n78; Jubilee Concert March, 45 Kerkrade, Holland, 151, 206; International Band Festival, 151, 154, 307n61 Kinder, Keith, 228 Kingston, Ontario, 40; Queen’s University, 151; Queen’s University Golden Gaels, 40 Kitchener, Ontario, 206; St Mark’s Lutheran Church, 206; Wellington Winds, 207 Klein, John, 89; Yellowstone Suite, 89 Kodály method, 147–8 Koprowski, Peter Paul, 14 Labrador City, 86 LaGassey, Homer, 89; Sea Portrait, 89 Lakeshore Concert Band, 88, 94, 116, 130–1, 142, 144, 149, 151, 163, 289– 90n121, 307n55 Lampman, Archibald, 87 Laterrière, Pierre de Sales, 104 Leidzén, Erik, 55–7, 89; Swedish Glee Club, 56 Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra, 296–7n49 Lewis, Christopher, 209, 311n31 Lewis, Craig, 282n52; Music and Gospel Arts Canada and Bermuda Territory, 282n52 Lewis, Eileen, 209–10, 230 Lijnschooten, Henk van, 197 London, Ontario, 40, 157–8; Catholic Central High School, 308n75; Centennial Hall, 196–7; Fanshawe College, 196–7, 308n75, 308n82; London Citadel Band, 157, 161; London Citadel Corps, 157; London Civic Symphony, 308n75; London Free Press, 197, 308n76; University of Western Ontario, 209; University of Western Ontario Mustangs, 40–1; Youth Band and Choir Workshop, 196–8; Youth Makes Music, 196–7, 200

Index London, UK, 34, 93, 144, 148, 232; Bandmasters’ Council in Royal Albert Hall, 116–17; European Brass Band Championship, 179, 188; International Staff Band of the Salvation Army (ISB ), 64, 68, 70, 94, 116, 139, 141, 148; International (William Booth Memorial) Training College, 139, 148; International Youth Congress, 34, 62; University of London, 93, 141, 148 Lytton, Sir Henry, 19, 280n14 MacDonald, Archibald, 163 Macdonald College, 149 MacGregor, Lianne (Calvert), 7, 34, 147–8, 208, 232, 310–11n28 MacLaughlan, Arnold, 52, 289–90n121; Knightmusic Publications, 289– 90n121; St George’s Band Method, 289–90n121 MacLeod, Dr Peter A., 162 MacMillan, Keith, 186 MacMillan, Sir Ernest, 5, 102–3, 238; MacMillan-CaPaC lectures, 5; Two Sketches Based on French Canadian Airs, 102–3 Mainz, Germany, 154; Romanesque cathedral, 154 Marlatt, David, 3; Eighth Note Publications, 3, 117, 141–2 Marshall, George, 29; Golgotha’s Hill, 29–31 Marshall, Lois, 88 Mason, Lowell, 216 Mathews, Henry, 4 McCauley, William, 87; Canadian Folk Song Fantasy, 87 McGill Conservatorium, 26–7; 45 McGill University, 26, 37, 51, 80, 149, 151, 209; Archives, 27; Faculty of Music, 38, 42–3, 48; McGill Chamber Music Society, 27–8; McGill Choral Society, 38, 41, 44–6; McGill Daily, 38–9, 41, 44, 46–7; McGill, Red and White Review, 38; McGill Redmen football team, 39; McGill Redmen Marching

327

Band, 37–45, 48, 54, 289–90n121; McGill Symphonic Band, 41–8; McGill University Concert Band, 47–8; McGill University Wind Symphony, 179; McGill Winter Carnival, 44; Redpath Hall, 46–7; scholarships, 27; Students Athletic Council (SaC ), 38, 41, 43; Students Executive Council (SeC ), 38, 43, 46, 48 McIsaac, Donald, 163 McMullen, Robert, 206; Prairie Sketches, 206 Mendelssohn, Felix, 156; Hymn of Praise, 156 Méndez, Rafael, 151 Meridien, Connecticut, 21; Diamond Jubilee of the Meridien Connecticut Citadel, 21 Merritt, Percy, 55 Middleton, Jesse Edgar, 131 Miller, Joel, 228–30, 243, 312n48, 312n50 Minelli, Charles, 154 Mississauga, Ontario, 156; Mississauga (Ontario) Temple, 156 Mitchell, Gifford, 34–5, 37, 42, 45, 50, 282–3n4 Moncton, New Brunswick, 81; Maritime Congress, 81 Monteregian Music Camp, 93, 280n18; MacKay Centre for Deaf and Crippled Children, 93 Montreal, Quebec, 4, 17–18, 62, 152, 208; 306 (Maple Leaf ) Wing Concert Band, 307n64; 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Band, 179; Association Québécoise des Loisirs Folkloriques, 105; Black Watch Association, 162, 306n52; CjaD (radio station), 50; C.S. Campbell Free Band Concerts, 52, 89, 288n115; Gazette, 19, 40, 46, 52, 289–90n121; HMCS Donnacona, 53; International Festival of School Music, 26, 151; Lakeshore Regional School Board, 141; La Musique des Fusiliers Mont-Royal, 179; Le Devoir, 298n67; L’Église St-Jean-Baptiste, 179;

328

Index

Lindsay Place High School, 7, 94, 148; Lower Canada College, 37; Montreal Boy Scout Band, 52–4; Montreal Brass Ensemble, 52–4, 289–90n121; Montreal Brass Quintet, 88, 95, 106–7, 236, 298n67; Montreal Canadiens, 44; Montreal Competitive Music Festival, 36; Montreal Forum, 26, 44; Montreal General Hospital, 81; Montreal General Hospital Nurses’ Choir, 51; Montreal High School, 36; Montreal Junior Symphony Orchestra, 289–90n121; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 95; Montreal Star, 45–6, 81, 289–90n121; Montreal Symphony Orchestra, 35, 43, 94–5; Montreal West High School, 93; Mount Royal High School, 36; Notre Dame West Corps, 27; Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal, 34, 56; Rosemount Corps, 82; Sarah Fischer Concert series, 149, 303n154; St George’s Church, 52; St George’s School, 289–90n121; Sun Life Auditorium, 52–3; University of Montreal, 44; Vickers Boy Scout Band, 53–4, 290n132; West Hill High School, 18–19, 36–8, 45, 289–90n121 Montreal Citadel, 18, 21, 26–7, 29, 33–4, 50, 52, 54, 81–2, 146, 148, 157, 243; Harvest Festival, 70; Montreal Citadel Band, 17, 21, 25, 33, 49–52, 54–5, 70, 85–7, 94, 152; Montreal Citadel Youth Chorus, 54; Songster Brigade, 54, 78, 81; “Sunday Afternoons at the Citadel,” 49; Youth Council, 27; youth rally, 62 Morawetz, Oskar, 87–8; Two Contrasting Moods, 87–8 Morin, Léo-Pol, 105 Morley Calvert Award, 92 Morrison, Mary, 5, 233 Morton, Gary, 197; Spring 1980, 197 Mozetich, Marjan, 278n28; Postcards from the Sky, 278n28 MusicFest Canada, 207–8 Mussorgsky, Modest, 43; Pictures at an Exhibition, 43

Nashville, Tennessee, 107; Nashville Contemporary Brass Quintet, 107, 111 National Youth Orchestra of Canada, 87 Naylor, Edward W., 211; “From Strength to Strength,” 211 Nestico, Sammy, 154; “All Through the Night,” 154 New West Brass, 307n69 New York, 56; Arma Company Band, 56; Ernest Williams School, 56; New York Area All-State High School Band, 86; New York Brass Quintet, 95; New York Centennial Memorial Temple Band, 56–7; New York Staff Band, 57, 70, 116–17, 146, 243; New York World’s Fair, 146 Niagara Symphony Norman, Walter, 49 Obeck, Vic, 39 Ontario Arts Council, 7, 168, 179, 185, 196, 206, 234, 308n76 Ontario Ministry of Education, 206 Ontario Music Educators’ Conference, 187 Opernwelt, 88 Oracle, Arizona, 90; Camp O’ Wood, 90 Orsborn, General Albert, 202 Osterling, Eric, 35, 144–6; Charter Oak March, 35; Thundercrest, 144 Ottawa, Ontario, 3, 34, 62, 157; Central Band of the Canadian Forces, 197, 218–19, 308n75; National Arts Centre Orchestra, 150, 188, 296–7n49; Ottawa Brass Quintet, 188; Ottawa Citadel, 55; Ottawa Music Festival, 35; Ottawa School Board, 87; Parkdale Citadel, 57; Quebec and Eastern Ontario Divisional Congress, 85; Rotary Club Trophy, 35; Royal Canadian Mounted Police Band, 197, 206; “Stars of the Festival,” 36 Parry, Joseph, 213; “Aberystwyth,” 213 Pelletier, Dr Wilfred, 35

Index Pentland, Barbara, 87; Suite Borealis, 88; Trio con alea, 87 Perry, Lisa, 233, 306n51 Pezel, Johann, 5, 277n5 Pitcher, Dolores, 196 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 208; Duquesne University School of Music, 208; North American Brass Band Association Championship, 208 Post, Vernon, 116–7 Potvin, Gilles, 298n67 Quebec, 34; music festivals, 35–6; Quebec Folk Song and Handicraft Festival, 103; Quebec Music Festival, 36, 89; Quebec School Music Teachers’ Association, 37; Quebec Winter Carnival, 128; school bands, 34, 37, 48; St Lambert Music Festival, 57 Rachmaninoff, Sergei, 56; Italian Polka, 56; Symphony No. 2, 173 Ravel, Maurice, 35; Jeux d’eau, 45; Pavane, 35 Reed, Alfred, 35; Ode for Trumpet, 35 Reynolds, Dr Jeffrey, 187 Ridout, Godfrey, 88, 120, 238; Folk Songs of Eastern Canada, 88 Ring, Brian, 88, 116, 157, 236–7; Musical Canadiana, 116 Ringwood, John, 45 Roberton, Hugh, 162–3; Songs of the Isles, 162 Rochester, New York, 86; Eastman School of Music, 86, 209; Salvation Army festival, 86 Rodrigo, Joaquín, 13 Rogers, Bernard, 237 Rogers, Richard, 45; Oklahoma Selections, 45; Symphonic Marches, 153 Romberg, Sigmund, 44 Rosevear, Dr Robert, 35, 43, 153 Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Regiment band, 53 Royal Conservatory of Music, 43 Russell, Dr Joan, 37, 54, 289n121

329

Rutter, John, 143–4 Ryker, Robert, 94–5, 107 Saint-Saëns, Camille, 173; Symphony No. 3, 173 Salvation Army bands, 5, 55, 61–2, 67, 157, 163, 294n3; women in, 279n3; Young People’s Band, 49, 68 Salvation Army Centennial in Canada, 157–60 Salvation Army Eastern Territory, 157, 230 Salvation Army events, 49–50; Asbury Park (New Jersey) Corps, 86; Congressional Chorus, 54; Youth Congress, 55; Youth Year (1953), 55 Salvation Army hymns, 9, 14, 64, 69–71, 74, 82–5, 114, 146, 158–61, 163, 202–4, 211–12 Salvation Army music camps, 19, 27, 54–6, 86, 90–2; Camp Redwood Glen, 56; Jackson’s Point Camp, 19, 56; Lac L’Achigan Camp, 55, 92, 291n147; Star Lake Camp, 56, 89 Salvation Army publications, 243–4; Canadian Brass Band Journal, 67–8; Festival Series, 63; Gems for Songsters, 29; General Series, 62, 65, 70, 82, 94–5, 157; Hymn Tune Arrangement, 64–5, 67; Maple Leaf Brass Series, 157; Meditation, 62–3, 67, 70, 227; The Musician, 69; Rosehill Music, 131, 140, 157, 162, 302n136; Salvation Army Band Tune Book, 58, 69, 74; Salvation Army Chorus Book, 69, 74; Salvation Army Song Book, 58–9, 69, 213; Salvation Army Tune Book, 21, 58, 60, 69, 82, 158, 309n88, 311n38; Salvationist, 29; Salvationist Publications, 29, 33, 57, 64, 77, 117; Selection, 28–9, 58, 67, 227; Theme Online, 62; Tune Book for Congregational Singing, 158; War Cry, 52, 69, 77, 81, 116, 243–4, 309nn85 Salvation Army songs, 14, 29, 58–62; Songsters, 17

330

Index

Salvation Army symbols and practices, 6, 17, 26, 61; “Home League,” 148; musical mission, 68, 86; “text-motif,” 63, 83–4, 294–5n8; “warriors for Christ,” 211 Sapir, Edward, 103; Folk Songs of French Canada (with Marius Barbeau), 103 Sarasota, Florida, 107; Florida Brass Quintet, 107, 115; Sarasota HeraldTribune, 115 Schabas, Ezra, 238 Schuller, Gunther, 238 Schwantner, Joseph, 236; From a Dark Millennium, 236; The Music of Amber, 236 Seattle, Washington, 151; Seattle World’s Fair, 151 Second World War, 34, 36–7, 53, 97, 150 Shand, Dr Patricia, 186 Sharp, Cecil, 128 Simcoe County Board of Education, 155 Simms, Bryan, Music of the Twentieth Century: Style and Structure, 6–7 Skinner, Charles, 77 Skippen, Christine (Calvert), 48–9, 152, 208, 210, 305n34; Canadian Composer Morley Calvert and His Contribution to Canadian Heritage, 287n90 Somers, Harry, 88, 233; Five Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, 300n106; Little Suite for String Orchestra on Canadian Folk Songs, 120–1; Louis Riel, 88 Sousa, John Philip, 35, 45–6, 296n43; The Corcoran Cadets, 286n78; Riders for the Flag, 153; Washington Post March, 35 Speculator, New York, 56; Camp-of-theWoods, 56, 89–90, 149 Spohr, Ludwig (Louis), 202–3, 309n88 Stathatos, Angela, 149 Stein, Paul, 156 Stevens, William, 45 St Malo, France, 100 Storm, Richard, 115 Stratford Festival, 5, 234, 280n18; International Conference of

Composers, 5; Stratford Kiwanis Music Festival, 154, 307n61 Strauss, Richard, 286n78; Allerseelen, 286n78 Stravinsky, Igor, 234–5 Sturdevant, Douglas, 188 Suppé, Franz von, 40; Light Cavalry Overture, 40 Tchaikovsky, Pyotr IIyich, 45, 170, 172–4, 176, 178; Concerto for Violin, 207; Nutcracker Suite, 45; Symphony No. 3, 307n61; Symphony No. 4, 153–4, 307n61; Waltz from Eugene Onegin, 286n78 Thrupp, Dorothy, 215 Toronto, Ontario, 27, 37, 82; Bramwell Booth Temple, 82; Canadian Staff Band, 86; Dovercourt Citadel Band, 70, 82; Earlscourt Citadel Band, 70, 88, 116–17, 156–7, 236; Eaton Auditorium, 51; Faculty of Music, 43; Globe and Mail, 304n12; Gordon V. Thompson Ltd, 144, 169–70, 198; Hannaford Street Silver Band, 207, 210, 231; Harbord Collegiate, 280n18; Jane Mallett Theatre, 207; Laurence Park Collegiate Institute, 153; Massey Hall, 55; North Toronto Citadel, 70, 156; North Toronto Collegiate Institute, 153, 206; North Toronto Songster Brigade, 57; Northview Heights, 234; Salvation Army Congress, 116, 236; “Salvation Sounds ’68,” 116; Ten Centuries Concerts, 87; Territorial Conference of Salvation Army Music Leaders, 86; Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, 235; Toronto Symphony Orchestra, 233; Toronto Temple, 55; University of Toronto, 26, 153, 186; University of Toronto Blues, 39; University of Toronto Concert Band, 43; University of Toronto Wind Ensemble, 187; Weston Silver Band, 207, 209–10, 231; York Memorial Collegiate Institute, 234

Index Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, 153, 206–7, 307n61; Canadian Composer Class, 153–4, 206; Challenge Class, 153, 206, 304n12; Group 1-Class A, 153; Major Brian S. McCool Trophy, 153; March Class-A, 153 Tritt, William, 94, 297n54 Turner, Robert, 13–14 United Church of Canada, 49; “Easter Sunrise Services on Mount Royal,” 49; Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada, 311n38; Junior Choir Festival, 57; Montreal Presbytery, 49; St James United Church, Montreal, 36, 49; Sunday School Association, 57; Young People’s Union, 49 University of Michigan Symphony Band, 150 Vancouver, British Columbia, 97; Symposium on Canadian Contemporary Music, 97; University of British Columbia (uBC ), 13, 87, 235 Vaughan Williams, Ralph, 89, 120; The Running Set, 128; Sea Songs, 89 Vescovo, Pierre del, 94 Villeneuve, Father de, 131 Wagner, Richard, 9, 173, 178; Die Meistersinger Overture, 207; Trauersinfonie, 56

331

Walls, W.K., 152 Washington, DC , 236; United States Army Band, 235–6; United States Army Brass Quintet, 308n76, 308n82 Weinzweig, John, 6, 97, 237; Red Ear of Corn, 97 Wendat (Huron) confederacy, 131 Wesley, Charles, 211 Westmount, Quebec, 34; École Normal de Musique, 289–90n121; Examiner, 35, 51; Victoria Hall, 57; Westmount High School Senior Band, 35–6, 92, 149; Westmount Junior High School Band, 35–6; Westmount Junior/ Senior High School, 34, 37, 89, 94, 149, 289–90n121; Westmount Protestant School Board, 34 Whitney, Maurice, 35; Dorian Overture, 35; River Jordan, 35; Thendara Overture, 94 Wilcox, Peter, 48, 287n85 Willan, Healey, 5, 10, 309n84 Wood, Haydn, 45; Mannin Veen, 45 Woodrow, Charles, 156 World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (wasbe), 3 Yardley, Major Bob, 92 York Winds, 150, 236, 308–9n82, 313n21 Yosemite National Park, 90 Youmans, Vincent, 44 Young, Graham, 7, 141, 207, 237 Youth Band of Ontario (yBo ), 169