External links
- Sask Music - Home | SaskMusic
- Saskatchewan Music Collection. University of Saskatchewan.
- The Ruckus - Audio Interview with Lorena Kelly from Sask Music, April 2009
Music in the Canadian province Saskatchewan, one of the Prairie Provinces, includes a variety of genres including Indigenous music, folk, country, jazz, and classical traditions.
In the early days of settlement, the musical landscape of the province was defined by military and police bands, church choirs, immigrant teachers, and many traveling groups of artists who traveled by rail across the continent. [1]
Regina was incorporated in 1883, and became the provincial capital in 1905. Early in its history, the city boasted numerous bands, including a brass band, Musical and Dramatic Society [2] : 134 and a number of church choirs. [3] [4]
Frank L. Laubach, a professional Scottish musician arrived in Regina in 1904, and was a prominent figure for eighteen years. During that time, he founded the Regina Philharmonic Society (1904), the Regina Orchestral Society (1908), the Regina Operatic Society (1909) and the province-wide Saskatchewan Music Festival (1908, with F. W. Chisholm). [4]
After Laubach's retirement in 1922, three choral and orchestra society groups exist: Regina Symphony Orchestra, Regina Male Voice Choir and Regina Choral Society. Only two years later, the three societies again merged to form the Regina Philharmonic Association. The Regina Symphony Orchestra later departed from that association, in 1926. [4]
Musicians from Regina include Edith Fowke, Helen Dahlstrom, Nina Dempsey, Norman Farrow, Barbara Franklin, Stu Davis, Colin James, Audrey Johannesen, Muriel Kerr, Gary Kosloski, Peter Clements, June Kowalchuk, Owen Underhill, Gaelyne Gabora, Jack Semple, Rob Bryanton, Val Halla, [5] Ron Scott, Brett Dolter, Beth Curry, Joel Fuller, Tyler Gilbert, John Dick, Dagan Harding (formerly of Despistado and Geronimo), [6] Kenny Shields of Streetheart, [7] [8] and Paul Sloman from A Horse Called Horse. [9]
Bands from Regina include The Dead South, Birds are Dinosaurs, Def 3, E Tea, Ghosts of Modern Man, Intergalactic Virgin, Into Eternity, LazerBlade, Library Voices, Pnice, Rah Rah, Tinsel Trees, The War Doves, and Robot Hive.
Dj's and Electronic Music Artists Neon Tetra, Limbo, Guidewire, Jeff Galaxy, Short Fat Steve and Hardtoe, DIG.IT.ALL, [10] Mike Trues, Submit, Pulsewidth, Cueball, DR. J, Jadybug, Square Sound Round Body, and A Horse Called Horse. [9]
William Earl Brown founded the Soundaround label starting in the 1960s which featured many of the local country and ethnic bands recording in his basement studio. Mel West & The Meteors, and The Canadian Downbeats had a few singles on the Soundaround label, later picked up Canada-wide via Stan Klees' "Red Leaf" label. Mel West & The Meteors would chart Canada wide with their tracks "Sad & Blue" and "Seventh Saint". [11] Earl had later success with the Grand Coulee Old Tyme Jug Band, and sold a number of albums via TV infomercials in the 1980s. [12]
Most current bands/artists produce CDs by themselves or with the aid of the Saskatchewan Recording Industry Association (SaskMusic). However, an increasing number of artists have moved to post their music on websites such as Myspace.
The city of Saskatoon was founded in 1882 and incorporated in 1903. During that time, the city's population grew swiftly. In the early 20th century, operettas by Gilbert & Sullivan, vaudeville and minstrel shows were among the most common forms of musical performance. [13] Saskatoon's first concert was held on December 1, 1884, by the Pioneer Society. It featured solos, duets, choruses, readings, and recitations. [14]
The Saskatoon Philharmonic Society was founded in 1908, [2] and won a prize at the first Saskatchewan Music Festival in 1909. The number of professional groups continued to grow. The Saskatoon Oratorio Society was founded in 1913, [15] performing Handel's Messiah with nearly 200 singers at Third Avenue Methodist Church in December 1913. [16] The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra formed under that name in 1931, after several earlier attempts to form an orchestra had occurred. [17] [18]
With the Great Depression in the early 1930s the musical community suffered. However, private teacher Lyell Gustin and his students presented twenty concerts a year in Saskatoon during the thirties, as well as teaching in surrounding areas. The Western Board of Music was organized in 1936, led by Arthur Collingwood, Chair of Music at the University of Saskatchewan. The music festival movement continued to expand, and in 1936 the Music Teachers’ Association was established. [3]
The Celebrity Concert Series, held by the Saskatoon Kinsmen Club, began, in 1944, to introduce international celebrities every year for twenty-six years. [13] Other groups include the Saskatoon Lyric Theatre Society (active 1955), the Saskatoon Opera Association (founded 1978), and the Prairie Opera Inc. (founded 1986). At the University of Saskatchewan, the student chorus the Greystone Singers was founded in 1959. Alumni of the Greystone Singers founded the Saskatoon Chamber Singers in 1977. [13]
Musicians from Saskatoon include Joni Mitchell, Neil Chotem, Jon Ballantyne, Jen Lane, [19] [20] John Antoniuk, [19] Brenton Price Dutton, [21] Susan Pesklevits Jacks, [22] Lorraine McAllister Richards, [23] Irene Bubniuk, [24] Brenda Baker, [25] Chris Lindgren, [26] [27] Paddy Tutty, [28] Kyle Riabko, [29] David Swan, [30] Lesia Zubrack Romanoff, [31] [32] Kim Brandt, Mike Ferbey (of the Rhythm Pals), [33] [34] Walter Babiak. [35] and Jon Pare (The Jawns, Jon.Pea) [36]
Bands from Saskatoon include Loop Bias, This Autumn Low, One Bad Son, The Sheepdogs, and Wide Mouth Mason.
In 2004, Theresa Sokyrka, born in Moose Jaw and since moved to Saskatoon, became first runner-up in the second season of Canadian Idol with her jazz and blues-influenced musicianship. Lionel Richie, appearing on one episode, said that Sokyrka had inside her the soul of an old black woman. [37]
Moose Jaw is home to the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival, which has been held every year since 1950. [38] [39] The city co-hosted the Juno Awards of 2013. [40] Connect-22, billed as Saskatchewan's 22nd and Final Electronic & Tribal Music Festival is scheduled for Besant Campground near Moose Jaw in 2017. [41]
The Saskatoon Concert Band is a civilian public band based in the city, consisting of two bands: the concert band and the auxiliary band. The Saskatoon Auxiliary Concert Band was formed in 1987 to cater to a demographic of musicians who came out of retirement. The Saskatoon Concert Band was founded in 1949 as the 406 Wing Band of the Royal Canadian Air Force and would later be renamed as the 23rd Wing Band. During this era, it took part in the Canadian National Exhibition as well as performing jointly with Mexican solo trumpeter Rafael Méndez as a guest artist. 10 years later, it was dissolved to create the Kinsmen Concert Band. In the mid-1960s, a section from the band came back into military service, this time as the HMCS Unicorn Band in the Royal Canadian Navy. The band evolved into its current form in 1982 as a non-profit organization.
The band took part Saskatchewan's Centennial year celebrations, during which it toured Northern Saskatchewan, as well as performed at events in the Saskatchewan Legislature. [42] [43] [44] [45]
Lorne Albert Calvert is a Canadian politician who served as the 13th premier of Saskatchewan, from 2001 to 2007. Calvert served as leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saskatoon Riversdale from 2001 to 2009, when he retired. He also served as the MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow from 1986 to 1999.
David Leon Kaplan, was a Chicago-born, U.S.-educated Canadian composer, university professor of music, performer, and conductor.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is 654 kilometres (406 mi). The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to the Manitoba border where it continues as PTH 1. The Trans-Canada Highway Act was passed on December 10, 1949. The Saskatchewan segment was completed August 21, 1957, and completely twinned on November 6, 2008. The speed limit along the majority of the route is 110 kilometres per hour (70 mph) with urban area thoroughfares slowing to a speed of 80–100 kilometres per hour (50–62 mph). Portions of the highway—the section through Swift Current, an 8-kilometre (5 mi) section east of Moose Jaw, and a 44-kilometre (27 mi) section between the West Regina Bypass and Balgonie—are controlled-access. Highway 1 serves as a major east–west transport route for commercial traffic. It is the main link between southern Saskatchewan's largest cities, and also serves as the province's main link to the neighbouring provinces of Alberta and Manitoba.
The Canada Saskatchewan Production Studios are located in Regina, Saskatchewan at the corner of College Avenue and Broad Street. Built in 1913, the structure has served as a normal school, military training facility, and fine arts building for the University of Regina. It was internally gutted and reconstructed as a movie and television studio facility in 2002.
The Western Development Museum is a network of four museums in Saskatchewan, Canada preserving and recording the social and economic development of the province. The museum has branches in Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Saskatoon and Yorkton. Respectively, each branch focuses on a different theme: transportation, agriculture, economy, and people. The museum is affiliated with the Canadian Museums Association, the Canadian Heritage Information Network, and Virtual Museum of Canada.
Culture of Saskatchewan views the patterns of human activity in the central prairie province of Canada examining the way people live in the geography, climate, and social context of Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is an annual outdoor music festival held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Established in 1987, it has largely been held at the gardens of the Delta Bessborough hotel in Saskatoon, and features performers representing many genres—but particularly jazz, blues, and folk.
Sports in Saskatchewan consist of a wide variety of team and individual games, and include summer, winter, indoor, and outdoor games. Saskatchewan's cold winter climate has ensured the popularity of sports including its official sport, curling, as well as ice hockey, ice skating, and cross-country skiing. The province also has warm summers and popular summer sports include baseball, football, soccer, basketball, track and field, rodeo, horse-racing, and golf.
Telemiracle is an annual telethon organized by the Kinsmen and Kinettes in Saskatchewan, Canada for the benefit of the Kinsmen Foundation. Initially broadcast on both CTV and CBC affiliates in Saskatchewan, it is now broadcast, commercial-free, exclusively on the province's CTV affiliates–CKCK in Regina, CFQC in Saskatoon, CIPA in Prince Albert and CICC in Yorkton.
The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a professional orchestra based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, administered by the non-profit Saskatoon Symphony Society. The orchestra was founded in 1927 as an amateur orchestra, but today has 10 core members and up to 50 sessional musicians. Arthur Collingwood, who was Professor of Music at the University of Saskatchewan, presented the first SSO concert. The SSO received major funding from the Carnegie Institute in 1931. The Canada Council, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and the City of Saskatoon have all provided sponsorship of the SSO through the years. In the spring, the symphony holds a Saskatoon Symphony Book & Music Sale to raise funds for the orchestra. The SSO itself offers students grants and hosted a national cello competition in 1990. Dwaine Nelson was responsible for the development of a full-time core of musicians, initially with a size of six, but later expanded to the present-day ten members. In the summer of 2014, the SSO announced that Maestro Victor Sawa would move into the position of Conductor Emeritus at the end of the 84th season. In March 2015, the SSO announced Eric Paetkau as the 16th Music Director of the orchestra.
Ryan Meili is a Canadian physician and former politician from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He previously served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Saskatoon Meewasin from 2017 to 2022 and as leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party from 2018 to 2022. He has founded a number of health care-related initiatives such as the Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health (SWITCH), the University of Saskatchewan's Making the Links program, and the Upstream think tank.
The Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union was a Canadian football league created on September 22, 1910 and disbanded after the 1936 season. It joined the Manitoba Rugby Football Union and the Alberta Rugby Football Union to form the Western Canada Rugby Football Union in 1911.
Saskatchewan Research Network Incorporated (SRNET) is a research and education network providing networking service support education, research and innovation in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. SRNET is member-driven and is a not-for-profit member of Canada's National Research and Education Network, which provides dedicated high speed network access to institutions and companies across Canada. SRNet also provides members access to CANARIE, a dedicated network that links similar research networks. The network also interconnects high performance computing resources within the province. SRNET's members link in to 112 international advanced networks in over 80 countries. Membership is open to all research, education and innovation organizations and institutions in Saskatchewan.
An election for the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party was held on March 3, 2018, as a result of the resignation of Cam Broten after losing the seat he contested in the 2016 election. Ryan Meili was chosen leader.
Queer City Cinema is an annual film festival in Regina, Saskatchewan, which presents a program of LGBTQ film. Established in 1996 by Gary Varro, the festival was presented every two years at first before becoming an annual event. In recent years, the main festival has been presented concurrently with Performatorium, a festival of LGBTQ performance art.
The Saskatchewan Summer Games and Saskatchewan Winter Games are multi-sport events held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The governing body for the Saskatchewan Games is the Saskatchewan Games Council, a non-profit organization who has held responsibility for organizing the Games since 2006.
An election for the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party was held on June 26, 2022 in Regina, Saskatchewan as a result of the resignation of Ryan Meili. Carla Beck was chosen the party's first elected female leader.
