Aspects of Music in Canada

The last few years have seen a tremendous increase in almost every area of musical life in Canada; more orchestras are playing longer seasons; Canadian composers are winning recognition at home and abroad; opera is coming into its own; the National Arts Centre in Ottawa is now a reality; as are various other centres for the arts; and interest in music among local groups, and among young people especially, is continually growing. Yet in spite of this emcouraging upsurge, it is also true that only about four per cent of Canadian adults actively support fine art, music, ballet, theatre and opera. One of the aims of this volume is to draw together the various, sometimes paradoxical, aspects of the country's musical life to provide a realistic and well-rounded survey of the current situation. This is the second volume of essays about music in Canada published by the Canadian Music Council and University of Toronto Press. The first, Music in Canada, edited by Sir Ernest MacMillan, described and documented Canada's musical life in the mid-fifties. That book receded into history with the accelerated tempo of musical development. Since then, the musical scene has changed fundamentally and beyond recognition. Aspects of Music in Canada delves into most, if not all, of the main areas of Canada's musical life, records its considerable achievements without ignoring its shortcomings, and pays tribute to Canadian artists and educators who have succeeded in a few short years in reaching international standards. Composition, performance (live and on the air), and education are surveyed and carefully documented. Essays on history, on folk and aboriginal music, and on musical organizations are also included. All who are intersted in the role that music has played and is playing in Canadian life will welcome this book of essays.