A wonderful highlight of my working year was the opportunity to support community participation this joint project with QPAC and the Royal Ballet. Honoured to make a cameo appearance as a dancer and snippet of a longer interview.
Music
David Page RIP
Today I joined members of the Page family and the Bangarra Dance Theatre for the funeral of Roy David Page.
I knew David Page only by his reputation with the Bangarra Dance Theatre. By the time the funeral finished I felt I was mourning a friend.
We laughed, wept, sang and clapped his spirit home as those who were close to him shared generously of their love of a most remarkable man.
I was honoured to be among family and friends today from the First Peoples of this land and those I have met through the arts community.
I am inspired by David’s living of his identity as a gay man and I hope I can honour his legacy in my queer community.
Dance into the Dreaming David.
Holy Week 2016
This week in the Christian community of the West is known as Holy Week. it is a time of intense drama and memory retold in story and ritual. It has the power to shatter our self image as much as the original story recorded in the Gospels.
The ancient texts proclaimed this week tell of the “turning away” both of the imperial might of Pilate and the loyal followers of Yeshua of Nazareth.
It has been the turmoil of history in the Church as prophets and outsiders challenged Popes, clergy and civic authorities who turned away from the vision of a new world founded on justice and peace.
In our own days we witness the “turning away” of religious leaders from the long history of sexual abuse in the name of religion.
It is not unusual that the voices that challenge come from outside the structures of religion. That has been the pattern of reform from the time of Abraham and Sarah.
The powerful lyrics of Pink Floyd won’t make their way into the formal liturgies of this week. But they will touch the hearts of those who have seen the signs and heard the words that lead to life.
Ronnie Gilbert RIP
Ronnie Gilbert
My parents gave me an LP when I was about 12 years old, The Weavers at Carnegie Hall.The songs and spirit of this album formed my social conscience and inspired my commitment to singing and music.
It was the defining experience of t my life as the voices of Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, Erik Darling ,Frank Hamilton, Bernie Krause and Ronnie Gilbert touched my heart from the family radiogram.
Last year I grieved the passing of Pete Seeger who will always be one of my life mentors and heroes. Today the very first item on my Facebook feed was from Pete’s grandson announcing the passing of Ronnie Gilbert.
The tears I weep are for the loss of an inspirational and talented woman as well as a voice that sang of life, passion, justice and human rights.Rest in the songs of life Ronnie Gilbert. Your voice for justice will live on in the recordings you made and in those who will carry your passion for justice and music to a new generation. Farewell great lady,may the angels sing you home to paradise.
I heard of Ronnie’s death via a Facebook message:
Kitama here, Pete & Toshi Seeger’s grandson.
If there is a heaven – Grandpa (Pete) and Lee Hays were there last night welcoming Ronnie Gilbert in with open arms. They probably sang all through the night together. Of all the people my Grandpa knew and worked with I always felt that Ronnie Gilbert shared my Grandpa’s vision of unwavering activism and took on new issues as she got older as times called for them in a way that very few others did.
Just as Grandpa took on the environmental movement, she became a champion in the women’s rights movement. They saw how all movements are connected and how you cannot be a champion of one without being a supporter of another.
The NYT wrote a great obit on Ronnie. But, before reading that, I’d like you to take a look at this concert from 1980 where the Weavers had a reunion concert at Carnegie Hall. FYI, Ronnie was a founding member of The Weavers with Grandpa, Fred Hellerman and Lee Hays.
Ronnie Gilbert will be missed and my heart goes out to her family.
