Truly...a Canadian
Icon!
When I began teaching in Hamilton, I was intrigued
with opportunities to enjoy stage performances by The Players Guild, Theatre
Aquarius and Hamilton's Symphony Orchestra.
From this orchestra, a group of five professional musicians evolved as “The
Canadian Brass” in 1970...formed by Gene Watts (trombonist) and Charles
Daellenbach (tuba). The ensemble wore formal black suits with white shirts and
white running shoes...injecting humour and pure enjoyment into their musical
renditions from 'Pop to Classical'. They generated much distinction as they
travelled coast to coast in Canada, then broadening to United States, Europe
and a special engagement in China.
The Canadian Brass made
their American debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1975.
A significant international visit
was made in1977 when they were sent to mainland China as “a cultural exchange”
between Canada and China. The quintet
ensemble was chosen and sent on this cultural mission by then...Prime Minister
Elliott Trudeau.
In1979, Canadian Brass
became the first chamber ensemble 'to solo' the main stage at Carnegie Hall.
In addition to their heavy
international touring schedule for over 40 years...and their extensive
recording catalogue, they have been on the billboard charts in each decade of
their existence.
It was always a great pleasure
when the Canadian Brass returned home for Christmas each year...and presented an exciting concert for their
Hamilton, Burlington and Toronto area family and friends....at Hamilton Place.
Such a treat to welcome their formal black suits, white shirts and white
running shoes!
The “Flight of the
Bumble Bee” ~ always a concert favourite,
has been
unprecedented by any other musical performance.
As of 2015, the
quintet is composed of:
Trumpeters...Caleb Hudson and Chris Coletti
French hornist...Bernard Scully
Trombonist...Achilles Liarmakopoulos
Tuba...Charles Daellenbach
The Ottawa Citizen has described the Canadian
Brass as...'Kings of Brass'.
The band has been named,
'The World's Leading Brass Ensemble' by the Washington Post.
The Canadian
Brass: All-ages Appeal Remains Constant
(Excerpts from an
article written by Leonard Turnevicius...
published in The
Hamilton Spectator ~ April 16, 2015)
Time flies when you're having
fun. Just ask tuba player, Chuck
Daellenbach who has a simple answer to what has kept the iconic Canadian Brass
buzzing along for 45 years. “The joy of performance, I guess. Just lucky to be able to continue
playing...and to do so at such a high level with these young players is quite
amazing,” said the Toronto-based Daellenbach, who co-founded the group back in
1970...and is currently the lone original member still playing in the quintet...70 years young
this year.
Last year,
Daellenbach was named a
Member of the
Order of Canada
'for popularizing
classical music.'
Not surprisingly, the group has seen quite a bit of turnover
with some 19 players having passed through the ranks over the years.
“There was a moment in history
where we actually had to make a decision,” recalled Daellenbach. “Do we replace ourselves with friends? You know, people roughly our same age and the
same ideas ? Or do we look at this more
as something that could have a chance at longevity?”
Ah, longevity! Like youth, it too has its privileges.
“A week doesn't go by when I'm
not introduced to somebody who says, 'You played in my school,' said
Daellenbach referencing the CB's early years when they played school show after
school show, many of them in the Hamilton-Burlington areas. We must have played
every high school in a 30 mile radius. I think we will go down in history...as
the only musicians who ever believed their path to Carnegie Hall was by playing
children's shows. And sure enough, it happened.”
While the CB's all-ages-appeal
has remained constant throughout the years, technology has brought about a
sea-change in the music biz. As far as
Daellenbach is concerned, the latter has been a boon to the 'Brass'. “The electronic age has been good to us
because we have audiences now in places that we haven't even performed,” said
Daellenbach. Some of our biggest
audiences are in South America. I think
we've had one tour in Mexico. We've been
in Venezuela once and Brazil once. Yet,
we get a tremendous following because of the Internet. I believe this is a minor miracle for
classical musicians...to be hooked up internationally.”
But, just where is
the Canadian Brass most popular?
“Burlington,” deadpanned
Daellenbach in an obvious-plug for the sponsored concert in the Burlington
Performing Arts Centre on April 30.
Through the years, they played a fundraiser for the 'yet-to-be-built
BPAC'. This will be the CB's first ever performance there.
And for this occasion, they've prepared a bill which includes the piece
that put the sneaker-clad CB on the map, so to speak...
“Little Fugue in
G-Minor” by Bach.
Plus, there'll be
some Renaissance music,
arrangements of
well-known tunes such as “Amazing Grace,”
Lennon-McCartney's
“Penny Lane,”
former CB trumpeter,
the late Fred Mills' “Carmen Suite No. 1”...
and much more...all
of it played on the CB's 24-karat gold-plated Conn-Selmer horns.
Merle
Baird-Kerr...written April 16, 2015
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