The blowing of the horn

My own horn, that is.

Toronto Chamber Opera Productions will be staging three short operas on May 30th and 31st at the Walmer Centre Theatre in Toronto. “Three Operas in One Hour” is the name of the event, and the three being staged are as follows:

• A Hand of Bridge by Samuel Barber (music) and Gian Carlo Menotti (libretto)
• O D’Amarti o Morire (music and libretto by Peter Fischer)
• Dieppe by Matt Tozer (music) and Nick Milne (libretto)

Why yes, you did read that last one right.

Readers of my old blog may remember several posts about the opera in question, which was first staged in early 2007 at the Von Kuster Hall at the University of Western Ontario. It as written as a sort of final project in Matt Tozer’s attempt to earn his Masters in Musicology (he was successful). I had thought that would be the end of it, but apparently the thing has legs and there are those who would wish it performed again. Let’s hope these wishes do not prove imprudent.

Tickets are available for reserve at the event’s website. Additional coverage at Torontoist.

Speaking engagement

Tomorrow I am to give a talk at my old high school as part of my involvement with their 2008 Ideology Conference.  The conference will see numerous local luminaries descend upon the school to speak about various writerly and cultural issues, and several larger names – including novelists Joy Kagawa and Eric Walters and CBC literary personality/college professor Bruce Meyer – will be on hand to perform readings and generally make things classy.

My own contribution will see me speak about the post-secondary writing experience, such as it is, with an eye, I would imagine, towards such aspects of it as might prove interesting or important to high schoolers.  It will be good to tread those ignoble halls again, after all these years, and to shoot the breeze with those teachers who were so important to my formation.

I should probably think about writing the speech, maybe.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

An enjoyable and thrilling adventure that outdoes its predecessor in some respects while still not entirely living up to its full potential. 8/10