1 Organ
2 This is a typical opening and closing to the the long running (1958-1985) children's show.
In the early sixties, a bit behind the times, my family acquired a black and white TV. So as a child I watched "The Friendly Giant" on CBC. Though I have no distinct memories of this, I am possessed by an overwhelming sense of familiarity with the characters and the ambiance of the show. I'm sure it was a formative influence on the thousands of children who watched it. But it seems to have formed me more than others, for years later, in 1976, I was seriously studying the recorder with Hugh Orr in Toronto, the very one who was credited with playing the recorder behind the scenes on each episode of "The Friendly Giant". And a few years later I took up the recorder again, at the Royal Conservatory of Music, with Susan Prior, a student of Orr's who joined him in playing in Friendly's Jazz Cats recorder ensembles. Unfortunately, my eldest child never made it to TV viewing age before the "The Friendly Giant" was axed in 1985.
In the early sixties, a bit behind the times, my family acquired a black and white TV. So as a child I watched "The Friendly Giant" on CBC. Though I have no distinct memories of this, I am possessed by an overwhelming sense of familiarity with the characters and the ambiance of the show. I'm sure it was a formative influence on the thousands of children who watched it. But it seems to have formed me more than others, for years later, in 1976, I was seriously studying the recorder with Hugh Orr in Toronto, the very one who was credited with playing the recorder behind the scenes on each episode of "The Friendly Giant". And a few years later I took up the recorder again, at the Royal Conservatory of Music, with Susan Prior, a student of Orr's who joined him in playing in Friendly's Jazz Cats recorder ensembles. Unfortunately, my eldest child never made it to TV viewing age before the "The Friendly Giant" was axed in 1985.
3 Fuge in G Minor BWV 574 - Ton Koopman, organ. Organ music, especially that of Bach, sits deep in my being.
4 "Moses in the Wilderness", from the album "Upon This Rock" (1969). An AACS conference concert by Larry Norman in 1970 had a lasting impact on my whole family.
5 "Dido's Lament" from the opera "Dido and Aeneas" (1688). This song, came to me via the Norton Scores and recordings purchased for my first year music introduction course at U of T in 1974. It's emotional impact has, for me, never faded.
6 Fantasty No. 3 (1733) - Frans Bruggen, recorder. This is exactly the image I have of Bruggen from attending his solo concert in Toronto in the early 80s. I was able to speak with Bruggen briefly, in my halting Dutch, after the concert.
7 Christmas Oratorio, BWV 245 - Part VI (7:01) (1734). I got my first taste of this Christmas in 1977 at Massey hall with the Toronto Symphony and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
8 Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, III, Allegro Assai (1721). Oh how I love the Brandenburgs for choosing to use the recorder in concertos 2 and 5.
9 Canata 140, "Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme", BWV 140 - directed by Ton Koopman. I've never heard this live, but the LPrecording I owned never failed to move me.
10 "Kyrie", "Miss Papae Marcelli" (1562). Early music became a passion for me during my three years at the Royal Conservatory. This great work is written in a style which I studied under Samual Dolin.
Music