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The Big Blue Bus Movie back to top Watch the Video Clip [AVI file, 17 secs, 3.94 mb] Bernie St Pierre, who directed "Elevator Down" an award-winning short film, called and asked if our string quartet might like to star in his next film about exploding grain elevators. He had filmed many such events, which he had used in his first movie, and now wanted to do another film using some of the footage. He wanted to pick out some music for his new film. We met up with Bernie and his crew at the film studios at Currie Barracks. We played several pieces for him as footage of collapsing elevators played out on a screen behind us.
"That's it," exclaimed Bernie. "We'll do 'Adagio' by Albinoni and fade into 'Mack the Knife'!" Well, the four of us: Peter, our first violinist; Carle, our second; and Donna, the cellist; and I looked at one another with raised eyebrows. But hey, we were just along for the ride. I knew from my previous experiences as an extra in a couple of movies, that whatever the Director says, that's what we do. Anyway it sounded pretty creative. And fun. Our next meeting was in the little town of Brant, about an hour south of Calgary near High River. Pure prairie country. The eyes travel without interruption for a hundred miles to the horizon. The sky surrounded us like a great blue canopy. We arrived in due course and watched Pete and Rick film the Big Blue Bus zipping up and down the country highway. This was one fine vehicle. Bernie had flown down to San Diego especially to buy the bus and for added effect, had it painted a sweet baby blue. Next we hopped on Baby Blue and rode out to the blue elevator just a couple blocks from the town. "Look," commented Donna. The bus is the same colour as the Elevator. Well, that's the colour of the Wheat Board, you know. All the old elevators were that colour." Leave it to Donna. She knows everything about everything. For this sequence, Bernie had asked us to dress in "camping" clothes. From the photos, I thought we should probably change our name to the Hayseeds String Quartet.
The next shoot will be interesting. Bernie plans to set us up in a restored elevator in Nanton. We'll be dressed in our tuxes and gowns and will play away while the Elevator collapses upon us. Superimposed of course. Life is never dull for the Sunrise Hayseeds String Quartet. All You Need Is Love back to topThe terraced garden is beautiful, a kind of mini-Versailles with terraces and symmetrical placing of the walks and borders. However a huge storm came up and we were banished inside. The Bride had done arrangements of Beatles music which I accepted though found unusual. She wanted these played throughout the ceremony. As the nuptials progressed I understood why.The service was in Hindu style with special rituals and flowers and other offerings. I remembered the Beatles had climbed up a mountain in India in 1968 to see the Guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. And George Harrison had already introduced the sitar to some of the Beatles recordings after studying the instrument with Ravi Shankar. Thus the connection to the music. It was quite serene and, although unusual, we enjoyed it because it the couple were so sincere as they carried on with their vows and rituals in their special way of solemnizing their marriage. July 2006 at Peter Lougheed House Mozart on the Mountain back to topWhen our wedding couple hired us to play on the platform the CPO used when they held the Mozart on the Mountain concerts, we were pretty excited just to be following in the CPO's footsteps. I think we were all praying full time that it wouldn't snow as May was definitely pushing the shoulder season.
Unlike Waterton (see The Windy Waterton Wedding) we were not about to let our music fly away or our stands topple over or freeze to death. We dressed in our warmest and fanciest outfits, had enough clothespins to cover every inch of our stands, and faced our stands to the wind. Donna and I wore our coats over our black finery but the boys bravely faced the elements dressed in their tuxes. But who knows what was under them.... Allan, who was subbing for Carle, did mention he wished he had worn his down-filled tux. We also cleverly arranged our music so that we needed to play only one sheet of any one piece of music. It was trying to turn pages at Waterton that did us in. We just repeated the same page where needed, with for example, Divertimento by Mozart and the Queen of Sheba overture by Handel.
Our instruments were so cold that the minute we tuned them, they went out of tune. Fortunately we were able to compensate. We knew the music almost to the point of memory. But all was forgiven when we spotted the Bridal Party floating overhead on the chair lift. The Bride and Groom waved to us and later told us how delightful it was to fly through the air to the strains of Pachelbel's Canon. It was pretty exciting for us as well.
Those fifteen leisurely minutes on the chair lift more than made the whole event worthwhile. One of our happiest gigs.
May 2005 at Nikiska
Halloween in a Funeral Parlor back to topJacques Funeral Home, now called South Calgary Funeral and Crematorium, hired the Sunrise to play for its Grand Opening (change of name and renovations). I was bemused that we would be playing over Halloween weekend at a FUNERAL home. I knew something was up, spiritually speaking.As it turned out we have never played in a lovelier setting for friendlier people. The Hall was spacious, beautifully appointed with comfortable seating for at least 100 people. The acoustics were wonderful. While the decor was soothing and pleasant, there were no obvious religious overtones. A large inset of stained glass with a pattern of flowers highlighted the magnificent fireplace mantel. Our Funeral Directors who all acted as hosts were not only impeccably dressed and attractive but also friendly and welcoming. They helped us lug our load of instruments, music and stands into the Home. After each hour of playing, we would break to eat delicious appetizers and refreshments and chat with these friendly people. The owner, a Mr. Toews, had nothing but compliments. Yes, he said, we were good, in fact we were "gooder than good." He remembered Peter, our First Violinist, from an earlier performance with his sister many years ago. He remembered Peter's "angelic" performance. Peter informed him that the name of his studio is indeed Angel Studio.. I told Mr Toews that just for him we would play Vivaldi's Spring and he would hear that Peter is capable of "devilish" performance as well. This we did later in the evening. We had started out playing our classical sacred music: "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", "Ode to Joy", many Bach and Mozart pieces, and other standard light and classical such as Faure's "Pavane". Then the Manager, Brett Watson, suggested we lighten it up a little. This floored Donna, our cellist, as she had assumed they wanted a dignified performance. Never mind, we took it up a notch and played Beatles, Mancini, Strauss, Anderson, many arrangements we had commissioned including "Till there was You", "Ain't Misbehavin', "Sunrise Sunset," a lot of Latin music, and so on. They loved it. After our second day, Gary the embalmer, took us on our own personal tour. We visited the viewing rooms, looked over the various styles of coffins, done up in different themes such as a cowboy theme or a cozy cottage theme or a military theme. We visited the "store" which carried any number of beautiful containers for a beloved's ashes such as a sun dial that one can place in the garden, sculptures in the Wyndham style, lovely urns that looked like Ming vases or jewelry cases. We stopped at the morgue and Gary took through the entire process of embalming (without a body of course). I asked him what led him to this profession. He said it was immensely satisfying to try to keep the body looking the way it normally would and to see the reaction of the families when he succeeded. His eyes lit up as he talked about his service over more than twenty years. Tired, well fed, and ears still buzzing from their compliments, we left the Parlor with smiles of satisfaction. This was such a good place and I would come to this place should I ever need such a service. Which I hope won't happen for a very long time yet. Brady, The Best Dog back to topJust as the Bride asked, we played Pachelbel's "Canon" for her entrance. Somehow we kept playing, not missing a note, when Brady, her big beautiful chocolate lab retriever, held on a leash by one of the groomsmen arrived at the altar just at the same time as she did.
At least he didn't bark! Brady loved our music. After the ceremony, he visited us and gave Carmen a great big lick.
June 2003 at the Devonian Gardens.
Mike, my husband and the Sunrise unofficial roadie, had surveyed the point upon which the stately Prince of Wales Hotel stood and found the one spot that was by degree slightly less buffeted. He then collected heavy rocks with which he weighed down our flimsy stands.
Kumiko, Peter's friend, stood at the ready to chase after any music that flitted away. She caught most of the flyers.
The conditions were not ideal with the wind blowing much of the sound away from the guests and with our struggling to shift from one piece to another pulling on and taking off any number of clothespins.
In the meantime we are adding Windy, Blowin' in the Wind, Wind Beneath my Feet, and especially the Wayward Wind, to our repertoire.
June 2003 at The Point at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton Lakes, Alberta.
The Sunrise String Quartet performed live on The Breakfast Show, A-Channel in Calgary, on Tuesday, October lst, 2002.
"We were delighted to accept an invitation to perform on the Big Breakfast Show in celebration of International Music Day. For more information on this specific day please refer to the Music section of the Canadian Heritage website. |
No instruments for this shoot. It was very simple. The Bus screeched to a halt in front of the Elevator then we hopped off the bus and moved quickly into the decrepit building closing the wide doors behind us. It took about an hour to get the right shots, something Bernie had warned us about.
The big day came. And yes it rained, it snowed, and the wind blew. And it was gosh darn cold! But this time we were ready.
Allan had the worst of it this time as he was not able to fully face the wind and was often caught in a playful cross wind. At times he had to hold his music onto the stand with his scroll reminding one of Mr. Magoo trying to peer at the notes.
And when it was all over, what a breathtaking ride down the mountain. Snow touched some of the peaks, which of course explained the snow blowing over our platform, the sky was a clear heavenly blue, and the valley swept out before us.
His collar was festooned with flowers. Although he was pleased to be in the wedding party, he struck rather a nonchalant pose, preferring to eye the guests rather than the handsome bride and groom.
We were at the gale force wind's mercy.
But we can't really fault the Bride's decision to set her big event outside. As you can see from the photos, this must be one of the most breath-taking views on this Earth.