Just back from Toronto after the CBC radio 2 protest rally.
It began with a choral infiltration in the Barbara Frum atrium at the CBC building, which, at high noon, lies in the shadow of the CN tower. The singing was excellent, as one can imagine, because many members of Tafelmusik and the Elmer Isler Singers joined forces under the illustrious conductor, Ivars Taurins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK1SnJDGLXk
The protest hymn was 'Wachet Auf' with the words changed so as to satirize CBC's inane decisions and the asinine CBC honcho, Richard Stursberg. The sound was so good that security just figured it was all part of the 'Open Doors Toronto' festivities which was happening this past weekend. Then the protest banner appeared and security realized something was wrong (or right, depending on whose side you're on).
The 'choir' filed out - still singing - to the square beside the CBC building, and from 1:00 to 5:00, the crowd listened attentively as one distinguished speaker after another, passionately spoke out against the wholesale slaughter of a once prestigious and cherished institution.
Guest speakers were a veritable Who's Who of the Canadian Classical music scene: Lydia Adams, Wayne Strongman, Ivars Taurins, Jean Ashworth Bartle, Ruth Watson Henderson, Alain Trudel, Victor Feldbrill, and Mario Bernardi to name a few.
Over a period of 4 hours, more than 600 people participated, beating drums and making some good rallying cries.
Oddly enough, the CBC didn't cover the rally.
Here are some photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?page=1&aid=2218045&id=13613308
http://web.mac.com/adriennepollak/Hi!_from_Adrienne/CBC2_Rally.html#30
This is just the beginning; there will most likely be a national rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa this coming fall...stay tuned.
2 comments:
Wow, Mario Bernardi was there? I'm sorry I missed that.
I should've booked a later train back to Montreal...
A rally in Ottawa would be good. It'd be closer to where I live and easier for me to get to than Toronto, anyway.
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