Music Scores in Parry Sound | True North Brass

Last week, True North Brass gave 12 performances in and around Parry Sound as part of the “Music Scores” program which is run by the Festival of the Sound and co-sponsored by the Music Performance Fund. For three days, we travelled from school to school, introducing ourselves and our instruments to the students. We performed not only in Parry Sound, but also Britt, Nobel, Wasauksing, Humphrey, Mactier, McDougall and Dunchurch. Fortunately, we didn’t have to find our own way around. Cam Murch and Jim Ferris served as our guides, and without them we almost certainly would have gotten lost and been devoured by bears. (We would have been an especially tasty treat, given our daily doses of butter tarts from Richard’s Coffee in Parry Sound, and the fabulous breakfasts at the Bayside Inn.)

On the fourth day, the students all came to the Charles Stockey Centre in Parry Sound, where we performed for them again. We really enjoyed the entire trip — I’ve played for many supposedly adult audiences that weren’t as quiet and attentive, which is especially remarkable the day before Hallowe’en! Obviously, the small communities outside Parry Sound don’t host a lot of concerts, so it’s great to be able to bring live music to kids who don’t often get that opportunity. It’s fantastic that the Festival of the Sound brings this program to them, and it was a real joy and privilege to be part of it.

Ceremonial Fanfare by Scott Irvine

In preparation for our performances, the students at St. Peter’s School in Parry Sound and Nobel Public School listened to some of our recordings and created some cool artwork inspired by what they heard.

“Downbound from Thunder Bay” from Ontario Pictures by Howard Cable

“Point Pelee” from Ontario Pictures by Howard Cable