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Carl Fairclough
Keyboards, Vocals, String bass, Trumpet, Banjo

Carl played keyboards in jazz and rock bands in the UK before coming to Powell River in the 60's, where he played in local ensembles before retirement from engineering dept. of MBPR.
Band: Jazz Unlimited

Moira Hopfe
Piano

Christmas is a season of music, especially choral music and several Powell River choirs have Moira Hopfe to accompany them. Hopfe was one of the first full-time staff to be hired by the Powell River Academy of Music and has taught many of their top students. She is also a performer in her own right as a soloist and as an accompanist. She has even performed at a Buckingham Palace garden party.

"The Lord Chamberlain requests..." the royal invitation began and is now framed on a wall in her house. At the time she was attending the Royal College of Music in London, England. Two other foreign students were asked to play at the same event. Dressed in a long blue formal gown complete with elbow-length gloves and a hat to match Hopfe presented herself to the palace guard who directed her to walk across the wide expanse of pavement inside the gates to the palace itself. In a foyer over looking the garden at the back she played a Schubert Impromptu on a grand piano. At the party outside afterwards, she met several members of the Royal family.

"Princess Diana was the most approachable," said Hopfe, "and I enjoyed talking to her." Later, she met several other members of the royal family. Among them was Princess Alexandra who is a patron of Queen Alexandra's House where Hopfe lived while attending the College.

Hopfe's first musical adventure came at the age of three in Edmonton when her two older sisters and brother finished their piano practice and then heard their little sister play their pieces by ear. Today, Hopfe is the only one of the four to become a professional musician.

Her teenage years had other interests besides the piano. She figure skated with the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton and got her life-guarding (NLS) certificate. Then taught both swimming and figure skating while doing her first music degree at the University of Alberta. At this time she also sang and played the clarinet and the organ.

After finishing her bachelor's degree, she was invited to do post-graduate work at the Royal College of Music in London, England.

"Two of the faculty, Sir David Willcocks and Kendall Taylor, inspired me as much for their brilliance as for their humility," she said.

Afterwards she had teaching assistantships at Arizona State University where she studied piano pedagogy, at the University of Western Ontario where she did a master's degree in piano performance and literature, and at UBC where she started a doctorate program. She spent two summers at the Banff School of Fine Arts and a third at the Johanesson Summer School of Fine Arts in Shawnigan. In 1990, the Alberta Peace Hills Arts Foundation gave her an award for "Outstanding Achievement in the Arts."

"I love to perform," Hopfe says. "As a friend said once, to bring out a tear, a smile, or make people's spine tingle' is the true art of any performance. That's what I like to do." She has both a grand piano and a harpsichord in her living room. She's performed both as a soloist and as an accompanist on many stages throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan.

Twice a year from 1989-92 she played with Pianomania, a Yamaha-sponsored group of four pianists organised by Dr. Ernesto Lehano, a music professor at the University of Alberta. They performed regularly on CBC radio and television until one of the members died of a brain tumour and the group folded.

In 1989, she flew into Powell River on a tiny Skylink plane. "I'd never been in a small plane before and it was a little bit intense," she said. She planned to stay a year but now with a house and a dog she has settled in like so many of us.

"I never had a pet before and Willie is the joy of my life," she says as he puts his creamy paws around her neck and gives her doggy kisses. They like to walk along the Willingdon Trail. Gardening and fishing are other Powell River loves. This summer she went on the garden tour for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it.

When the Academy of Music hired Hopfe as head of their piano department, she started with 26 students but that number grew to over sixty and she found herself working six or seven days a week as many had hour-long lessons. Now that there are fewer students, she has more time for her own practising which she used to do eight hours a day.

"I enjoy teaching every student," she says. "I like sharing the joy of music and my students become my friends." They range from age five to over seventy.

"I like teaching adults who've never played before and have no musical background. They look on music as therapy both for the soul and for arthritic fingers."

Many of her students have done very well. Daniel Chow got 96% on his Toronto Conservatory exams and Kevin Wong has already completed his A.R.C.T. diploma. Last year she acquired a computer and some of her students who have gone on to university now keep in touch by e-mail.

Hopfe also enjoys working with several choirs in town and they love her too. At a recent concert of the Powell River Chorus, they gave a one-time performance of "Sunshine and Roses," a favourite poem of hers which W.J. Vanderhoeven set to music in her honour.

Next year, she is thinking of taking a sabbatical in Ontario "to study myself and get back into full form." She also plans to take courses to become an examiner for the Toronto Conservatory. This would enable her to go all over the country examining students. But all this is still uncertain and she hasn't made any firm commitments yet.

"I really enjoy the balance between teaching and performing. I wouldn't want to be only a concert pianist. I love being on stage but I also love my students and teaching."

Jeff Oriecuia
Piano, electric bass, trombone/baritone, didgereedoo

My mum got me into piano when I was in Grade 1 at Edgehill Elementary school in Powell River. I picked up the trombone for the first time in Grade 6 and played until Grade 12 in the school band. When I was in Grade 8, I got to tour with the "big kids" to the Musicfest National Finals in Calgary, where our band took 1st place. I played the baritone.

I decided to expand my musical horizons in Grade 9, and took up the electric bass, which I still play, eight years later. I'm interested in jazz, due to its soothing versatility, and to funk, because -- uhh -- it's -- well -- funky. I also like to experiment in mellow, ambient new-agey type of sounds using harmonics, double-string pops, and tapping.

I guess the person that most influenced me in my music was Jon Stromquist. His confidence in me was contagious, and I found confidence in myself through music. I still find that when my emotions are flying around, and I can't elucidate my feelings with words, I pick up an instrument. Music is the language of the soul.

I graduated from Max Cameron in 1992, and have been attending UBC off and on for the last five years. At the moment, I'm majoring in plant physiology and ecology.

I spent last year bumming around Australia, and it was probably the greatest life-changing experience that I have ever lived through. If you feel ready to open yourself up, increase your drive and self-confidence, and generally learn a lot about yourself, I feel that travelling is the way to go. People talk about finding that elusive nuance called Inspiration. It's in yourself... but sometimes it's easier to explore your inner spirit in a different setting.

In Australia, I spent three weeks constructing a digereedoo, an Aboriginal instrument used in sacred rites and for meditation. A beautiful souvenir of a beautiful experience.

I'm not currently in a band, due to job and school commitments in Vancouver. In April 97, my schedule opens up in a permanent way, and I hope to get something together in the way of a band, or just to jam around -- it's the best way to practice -- and who knows, sometimes delusions of grandeur aren't a bad thing. If anyone is interested... let's rock! ;-)
Box 22 - 2525 West Mall
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
(604) 221-9346
Fax: As above -- but confirm by voice first
My e-mail address is: jeffreyo@unixg.ubc.ca

Henry Pavid

Piano

Last of the breed

Henry Pavid keeps the tradition of theatre organs aliveat the Patricia Theatre.

Recently, the old Wurlitzer organ stationed in front of the theatre's screen let him down when it refused to play anymore-something Pavid himself would never do. "As far as we know, I'm one of the last of the breed. I do it because I like it and I want to keep the trend going."

Last week, he took delivery of the Wurlitzer's replacement-a Baldwin two-manual cinema organ-one he considers to be a Cadillac among organs. "This is what I've been dreaming about for a long time."

Pavid fell in love with organ music one day in 1924 when his mother took him to the Pantages Theatre. "That was the first sound of a theatre organ I listened to. It got a hold of me."

The enchantment continued. "I used to go to the show and I would slide down in the seat for the second show so I could hear the organ."

A theatre organ is designed to be played alone. "It imitates an orchestra," says Pavid.

Theatre organs were widespread in the 1920s when silent films were the rage. "The organs were an accompaniment to the screen. It had to make all kinds of sounds."

A theatre was also a kind of music hall. "The trend in the larger theatres was vaudeville and motion pictures combined. Vaudeville was the main attraction."

In the 1930s when talkies hit the scene, theatre organs experienced a setback. "Their role was diminished to intermission."

Eventually, theatre organs were phased out altogether-even at the Patricia Theatre, which was equipped with a small pipe organ when it opened in 1928. "It was called a Robert Morton. It was sold about 1958."

In 1965, Pavid revived the theatre organ tradition in Powell River when he brought a small Hammond organ to the Patricia Theatre and commenced to play. His musical choices filled the theatre until the late '70s. Later, he returned to the theatre with the Wurlitzer which cooperated faithfully until its recent demise. "I used to play every night."

Now, Pavid, 86, can be heard playing before the feature movie each Saturday, Sunday and Monday evening. And when Pavid begins to play There's No Business Like Show Business, the audience knows the curtains are about to open.

Ryan Riley

Keyboards, Vocals, Composer

Why/how did you come to choose your instrument? Dont like to be limited. Keyboards, Workstations impress me and make me limitless to new creations

My influences and why? David foster, Andrew Lloyd Webber because they show Passion in their Music. They make the Listener feel the story

My E-mail address: composerye@shaw.ca

Tobin Stokes

Piano, Conductor

Tobin Stokes, is clasically trained in piano. He holds a degree in percussion from the University of Victoria, and makes his living composing. He has released two CD's of instrumental music, Eagle's Song (distributed by Solitudes and Tandem) and Coastal Currents.

Commissions for massed choir and orchestra at the International Choral Kathaumixw have been sung by choirs from many parts of the world. His music is published in the United States and Canada.

He has composed music for more than 200 video and film projects, from pilots and corporates to documentaries and series.

Other musical interests include musical directing at theatres in Victoria and Halifax, performing jazz piano, Latin percussion, and with country band, The Cactus Pricks, and arranging and directing music for live shows at the world-famous Butchart Gardens.
My e-mail address is: tobinstokes@telus.net
Homepage address: http://www.tobinstokes.com/

Ian Tite

Piano and Keyboards

Kevin Wong
Piano, Saxophone, Clarinet

Passion for the music shines through

One of the highlights of this year's Blackberry Festival was the farewell concert of Kevin Wong and his teacher Moira Hopfe.

On two pianos they played Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", Bizet's "Carmen Suite", Liszt's "Rhapsody" and many others. Wong is no stranger to Powell River audiences who have often heard him perform at the Music Festival. He dresses the part. This time he wore a white tux for the first half of the concert and a black one for the second.

Wong, an only child, was born here in 1981 and went to Edgehill, Henderson, J.C. Hill schools, then Max Cameron for a year and, finally, Brookes. He tied with several students for top place in grades 9-12, consequently his marks were good enough to get him into the exclusive Science-One class at the University of B.C. where he will start this fall.

"Science-One is a class which the top 70 applicants are invited to attend" he said. "They combine physics, chemistry and the other sciences and you get to know the instructors really well, but it's a very tough course."

After 3 to 4 years at UBC, Wong plans to go into medicine, unless he sees something more attractive.

He knows things could change -and there is always music which will continue to be a big part of his life.

When he was four years old, his parents went to have a look at a 90 year old upright piano which his father played to test, The first day they got it home, Wong played it and liked it.

Two years later, he had his first piano lesson with Karen Yare and continued with her until about Grade 6 piano.

After that he studied with Moira Hopfe.

"She became my musical inspiration," he said. "She turned a light on in my head and the piano became the main focus in my Life. She's an excellent pianist and an awesome teacher and accompanist."

Under he tutelage, he attained his Associateship of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (A.R.C.T.) in piano performance with first class honors in August last year. (He did his theory with Don James.)

In the fall, he gave a concert at the Powell River Academy of Music performing the pieces he played for the ARCT program.

During his musical career, Wong has performed many times at the Powell River Music Festival (now known as the Powell River Festival for the Performing Arts).

Last spring, he needed a small dolly to wheel away his many trophies.

He has also gone on to the provincial finals at the B.C. Festival of the Arts in Powell River, Prince George and Victoria.

"I played well but didn't place" he said of his three visits to the provincial festivals. "It was a good experience, though, because I was able to see and hear how other people as good and better than I performed. It makes it more of a challenge."

At the last provincials in Victoria, he played Saint-Sarns Concerto No.2 with Moira Hopfe playing the orchestral part on a second piano.

"That's what started us thinking about doing a two piano recital which we ended up doing for the Blackberry Festival," he explained.

"Things haven't always gone smoothly.

"You expect so much of yourself," he said.

"I find one of the most frustrating things is to play a concert piece again and again perfectly but at the time of the performance something goes wrong. This has happened several times and I have had to learn to look past it. The main difference between a professional player of any kind of musical instrument and an amateur player is that the professional is going to get it right nine times out of ten whereas the amateur is inconstant."

Wong wants to play like a professional.

Although he still has the upright piano he learned on, he now has a Samik grand as well. He also played the Saxophone and Clarinet in jazz bands and concert ensembles at school. Bill Prouse and Carla Fowler taught him the Saxophone and Marienne Stromquist the Clarinet.

After he finished the lessons, Hopfe encouraged him to continue on his own so that he completed Grade 10 on the saxophone and Grade 9 on the clarinet.

In recent years, however, he has put all his efforts into classical music for the piano.

Mozart and Chopin are his favorite composers.

He is also the author of several compositions for the piano.

The first one which he wrote four or five years ago was a Spanish rondo called "Prima Vera en Seville."

He's done a prelude and fugue in the style of J.S. Bach and a French piece called "A Night out in Paris"

In the fall of 1998, Hopfe was thinking of taking a sabbatical though in the end she didn't.

Wong knew he wanted to continue having piano lessons so he persuaded Professor Lee Kum-Sing at UBC to take him on.

"I was surprised that he would take me on since he knew I was thinking of taking up medicine," said Wong, "but he gave me a chance."

Every two or three weeks, he went down to Vancouver for a lesson and he plans to continue with the same teacher when he starts his formal studies at UBC shortly.

He likes to practice three hours a day but the pressures of Grade 12 forced him to reduce the amount.

He is a little apprehensive that Science-One may have the same effect.

"Professor Lee Kum-sing has told me that the ARCT diploma just qualifies me to perform," says Wong.

"There is a lot more I need to learn. His philosophy is that studying music is a lifelong commitment, especially if I want to become a concert performer which I am not sure about now. It's like becoming a priest."

It may be quite a dilemma, especially as Wong may want to supplement his income by teaching.

Piano, Vocals

Lillian studied singing with Mrs.Hopper. She also took piano from Mrs. McGregor in Cranberry "a very long time ago." Lillian won the Foley Trophy in 1945 and went on to win 1st place in the Dramatic soprano class, at the B.C. Music Festival in Vancouver.

"They say 'talent runs in families, now my daughter sings and has made a CD with another singing group in San Francisco- she also teaches work shops."
Lillian (Wright)Murphy

My e-mail address is: lmurphy@attcanada.net