TRC Saskatoon 2012

I went to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada National Event yesterday evening and this afternoon.  It was mentioned in church a few months ago and was in the church bulletin regularly.  I was a little late on Saturday and I took my boys to the TRC National Event at Prairieland.  Samuel was saying something about $10 being worth more way back in the olden days than it does now.  He was referring to some Treaty Education material he learned in grade 3.  It was almost 7 PM, so we went into Hall C and the Call to Gather / Expressions.  Highlights I remember include:

• members of the Anglican Church putting a Plains Cree translation of their apology into the Bentwood Box
• Gary Merasty placed the speech he gave when MPs apologised to Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples into the Bentwood Box
• KAIROS offered a symbolic piece of art.  They asked members of churches involved with them to stand, so I stood along with Samuel.  They have been working hard to prevent northern Saskatchewan from becoming nuclear waste dump.
• The Right Honourable Joe Clark spoke.  You could tell he likes an audience.  I left as he got near the end because my kids were getting restless after 1 hour of listening. He did mention that he felt the spirit of goodwill in the 1990s was greater than it is currently.  One of the reasons for that he suggested was the economic situation is worse now than then.
• Samuel remembered the story about the residential school survivor who was punished with a v-shaped wooden block in the mouth when he spoke in his native tongue.  This is something that happened in Taiwan with the Chinese Kuomingtang occupiers shaming school children for speaking native tongues (Taiwanese, Hakka and aboriginal languages) in school.

In this morning's sermon, Rev Currie mentioned the theme of Saskatoon's National TRC event was "Truth", but she witnessed a lot of courage as victims and survivors shared their stories these last few days.  On Sunday, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Rev. Dr. John Vissers and his wife were visiting St Andrew's Presbyterian Church.  I met him again at the TRC as he was on his way out to catch his plane.  A church member explained how listening sessions were conducted and how time didn't matter.  She said there was one today that lasted about 2 hours.  How different that aspect of First Nations culture is from the way the rest of us operate!

I took photographs and video of the many displays in the information hall.  They were starting to take it all down at 4:30 PM, so I'm glad I did.  Some of the writing on the wall were quite moving.  I won't post them here for the privacy of those who shared.  I simply wrote "May the treaties be honoured."  This resonates with me because the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty that defines Taiwan's true status has largely been forgotten in a way that is similar to treaties with First Nations in Canada.  My son wrote "I learn what happened in school.  It is very sad that it happen." 

I got a copy of this book for free.  You can get yours here.  I did not attend first hand sharing sessions. I think I chickened out.  I will read this book.

Here are links to some videos of the displays:

http://youtu.be/KSrrEB7go-I
http://youtu.be/WYtGODTtQKw
http://youtu.be/0x1jMy2hGrE
http://youtu.be/kMvbqht8KCg
http://youtu.be/sykzWUOTf6U
http://youtu.be/zkcODb3hFxQ
http://youtu.be/nvY8RBMWQdE
http://youtu.be/mXozhHP0XSI
http://youtu.be/UJAgXJb6OfU
http://youtu.be/BEIL7uwLpLs

Leon Fleisher's KV 503

I've not listened to Leon Fleisher's recordings of the Beethoven Piano Concerti for a while, so I pulled them out last week.  Included is his recording of KV 503 - Mozart's 25th piano concerto.  I first heard this recording as a CBS Great Performances LP coupled with Beethoven's 4th piano concerto.  His recording of the Beethoven 4th piano concerto has been my favorite since I first heard it and it still is.  The same goes for his recording of KV 503.  I gave my cousin this LP when she came to visit us in Oakville many moons ago, but I had bought Fleisher's set of Beethoven piano concerti for $45 at Sam's on Yonge Street when I was an undergrad.  It's a treasure I still enjoy immensely and can now be had for a pittance!  And the contribution of the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell was notable too.  A better time in the history of that (my favorite American) orchestra and the city of Cleveland.

Fleisher suffered an injury to his right hand which sounds eerily similar to what happened to another great CBS artist, Murray Perahia.  Perahia seems to have been able to recover from his injury though.  Two outstanding Jewish-American pianists!

The French 3/4 Violin

This past Friday (June 15), Samuel brought home a 3/4 violin that was once played by Julia Ruby.  There's a note about Julia Ruby on this Facebook page. She was a former Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra member and violin teacher (who studied with Dorothy Delay at Juilliard and now teaches in Florida).  The violin eventually passed on to an exceptionally gifted student.  Samuel's violin teacher, Philip Kashap, had just received the violin a half hour before his lesson from the former owner's grandmother.  The violin had been left unplayed for about 20 years.  This former student was quite accomplished and has since moved to Ontario.  He completed Suzuki Book 5 at age 5, completed Suzuki Book 10 by age 9 and was playing in the Saskatoon Symphony at age 13.  Inside, was a note typed on the back of a comic strip that read

It was made in France in 1919 or so.  It was Julia Ruby's as a child.  We paid $800 for the violin/bow and purchased a $200 case.  We have included the shoulder rest.  We would like to get the $1000 we have invested in it.  Julia had the violin passed from one family to another while she had her studio here.

Philip kindly recommended that Samuel and Elisha be the next players of this unique violin.  It has a nasally tone that is quite rare these days.  Philip is moving on to the Huntsville Suzuki program.  He will be greatly missed.

3/4 French Violin from about 1919

Beethoven reigns with my kids

Last night, I was playing Stephen Kovacevich's recording of the Brahms D minor piano concerto.  My 2 kids wanted Beethoven instead.  So, I put on the DVD of Krystian Zimerman playing the Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto.  I had heard Brendel's first Philips recording of it on CBC a couple of days ago.  Absolutely beautiful (it is Beethoven's most lyrical piano concerto).  They wanted me to play the Karajan Beethoven 9th DVD, but I said no.  My little one was still watching after the piano concerto finished, so I put on the Karajan Beethoven 9th.  Now, he listened to it all the way through.  He asked me questions like "what's his name (von Karajan),  where are they playing (Berlin), what is Berlin (capital of Germany), what are they speaking (German).  Usually, he wants to go straight to the last movement.  He was also humming along with the slow movement (a beautiful long, singing phrase).  So, in our house Beethoven reigns supreme (even though dad likes Mozart, Brahms and Schumann).

Géza Anda Competition Final Concert Tonight

The final concert for the 2012 Géza Anda Competion is now past.  Tomorrow will mark 36 years since Géza Anda died.  I had tried to buy his complete set of Mozart piano concerti used for $9, but that fell through on Amazon.ca marketplace.  I shall listen to some of Anda's Schumann these next few days.

Trouble with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

Very frustrating.  Tried to install the AMD driver for the onboard graphics without success.  The first driver installed, but the update didn't.  It took longer than it should and when the update failed, the original AMD driver was removed (and you would have to install it again).  I had my 20" LCD on VGA and 32" TV on HDMI.  It worked as a clone only once.  After I tried fiddling with the driver, it wouldn't clone the displays nor would it let me extend the desktop.

The Ubuntu software update wasn't any good either.  It stops when it can't find one of the updates and doesn't install the ones it can download.  Not good at all.  I guess AMD doesn't have very good Linux drivers!  Not good for the average user either.  I'm not too happy with this.

Found some drivers here, but it still doesn't work.  Have to issue commands from the command line!  The install required going to a terminal to execute the downloaded file (quite common with Linux).  Now, if you had no idea about paths, you would not know that you have to cd Downloads and then run the command!  Definitely not a plus for the average user.  However, Apple went the total opposite extreme and that's very annoying too IMHO.

The ATI driver screwed up my Ubuntu installation.  The TV became the default monitor and the LCD monitor was 'stacked' on top of it, but it would just show a grey screen.  I turned off the TV and then I got no picture at all (grey screen on LCD - it didn't automatically revert to the LCD as the default - this is what the default Ubuntu generic driver does).  So, now I'm reinstalling Ubuntu so I can login again.  Really lousy.  Don't use the ATI driver from AMD!

Four blossoms on our Ohio Buckeye

I was weeding in the back yesterday evening and our Ohio Buckeye (planted 2008 August 30) has four blossoms.  There was a honey bee taking nectar from it's flowers.  This is the first time that our tree has flowered.  I always liked the European horse chestnuts in Toronto with its white flowers.  The Ohio Buckeye is it's North American relative.  Too bad the hail damaged one of its branches.

2012 June 5 - first time this tree has flowered!

Four blossoms this year

Ohio Buckeye

We planted this Ohio Buckeye on 2008 August 30. It was purchased from Lakeshore Garden Centre on Boychuk/Highway 16.

Ohio Buckeye, Victoria Day 2012

It's foliage is fuller today, 2 weeks later.  It was hammered by hail on 2011 August 15, but I'm glad to see it's looking good this year.  I don't know why more Ohio Buckeyes aren't planted on the prairies.

We went to the Forestry Farm today and I like the Ohio Buckeyes they have there which are in bloom right now (last week would have been even better for the flowers).

Ohio Buckeye, Forestry Farm

Ohio Buckeye blossom