Hugh Davidson turned 70 this year. When the idea was suggested to him of a fund-raising event on his birthday to benefit his favourite charity, without hesitation he named the Canadian Music Centre. Invited guests were asked to consider a donation of $70. More than 140 people, including family, friends and colleagues attended the festivities May 28 at the Diane Farris Gallery. Diane Farris graciously donated the space which included a striking exhibition by the glass artist Dale Chihuly. A string quartet comprised of Andrew Dawes (Orford Quartet), Bryan King (Purcell String Quartet), Marie-Claude Brunet (Babayaga Quartet) and Ian Hampton (Purcell String Quartet) played a witty quartet entitled A Five-Course Birthday Dinner by Claus-Dieter Ludwig and many people paid tribute to Hugh. A great time was had by all.

Many thanks go to the members of the organizing committee: Linda Johnston, Janet Miller, Corky McIntyre, Alison Reid, and Barry McArton. Hugh Davidson is an all-round musician and life-long champion of Canadian music who has donated hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to the B.C. Region of the Canadian Music Centre. The event in his honour has netted more than $5000 to date. Most of the proceeds have been used to purchase two new iMac computers and to establish an ethernet network within the Office. The new tools acquired through the Hugh Davidson birthday party fund-raiser have been affectionately dubbed the "MacHugh Connection".

This new computer equipment is part of Phase I of the "Centre Canadian Music in Vancouver's Heart" project. Unhappily, the first proposed bonussed space project approved in 1997 has been abandoned. However, a very attractive option is under consideration this summer. Stay tuned for an announcement in the next few weeks of another bonussed space for the CMC.

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As the musical community in Canada becomes more interdependent and adventuresome, it includes composers in new ways. An increasing number of ensembles and performers in B.C. are commissioning composers. This may be a fulfilling and exhilarating experience for everyone concerned resulting in the creation and premiere performance of new works of art. It may also cause heartache. The Canadian Music Centre has seen many commissions come and go and offers some general advice.

As a preliminary step, use the Centre's resources to compile an inventory of the music which already exists and fulfills your needs. You may very well find suitable ready-made repertoire! Having decided to commission a composer, begin by thoroughly researching your choice, for example, by examining scores and recordings at the Canadian Music Centre. Consult the staff. There are hundreds of professional composers from which to make your selection. Look at the composer's recent compositions and works in the genre you are considering. Does the composer write generally in the same style or a variety of styles? Are the composer's recent works in a radically different style from earlier works? Some composer's early works may be experimental and "avant-garde" and their recent works tonally based or vice versa. Create your short list and approach the composers.

The most important advice is to come to an agreement with the composer at the beginning of the process. There is no standard contract, but it is worth consulting the Canada Council for the Arts commissioning application form so that your contract covers the issues it raises. Here are some issues to include:

The fee: It is best to follow the suggested schedule of commissioning fees of the Canadian League of Composers. Originally, this schedule was intended as a suggested minimum for beginning professional composers but it has become, in effect, a maximum for all composers. Some established composers may negotiate a fee above the CLC rates, however commissioning programs generally adhere strictly to the CLC rates. For works of more than 20 minutes duration and opera, ballet and multi-media (which fall in the area of grand rights) fees are negotiated. 50% of the fee should be paid when the composer accepts the commission and the balance when the score is delivered.

Other costs: The composer's task is to present you with a finished, legible copy of the score. The commissioner is responsible for the expense of extracting parts if any and reproducing score and parts. For a large ensemble piece this can be a substantial cost which should be worked into the budget. (Always reproduce the parts. Never allow musicians to play from the originals.) The current rate for "extracting" parts is $15 per page. If the composer does this, he or she would be paid. Composers should understand it is next to impossible to find money for reproduction expenses for a commissioned work, if they have failed to ensure the commissioner is paying these expenses.

Text copyright clearance: If there is a text, it is better to put the onus on the composer to determine whether the text is in the public domain or in copyright and in the latter case to obtain copyright clearance for the text. A text by Chaucer would seem to be in the public domain, but a new translation into modern English is likely to be copyright. Usually the holder of the copyright for the text will not unreasonably withhold permission but sometimes the process of obtaining permission may be time-consuming and frustrating. Stravinsky could not obtain clearance to use a text by T.S. Eliot. Some poets will not permit any repetition or alteration of text.

Timetable: Establish a workable deadline, so that you have the music properly proof-read in your hands before the first rehearsal. It may happen the composer may take more time than expected but a better work may result. Be flexible.

Clarifying your intentions: Discuss your expectations of the piece with the composer. If you want a piece for your beginning school orchestra which has few strings, dozens of flutes, saxophones and guitars at different levels of training, don't just ask for an orchestral piece no longer than ten minutes. Some wonderful works have resulted from ongoing dialogue between commissioner and composer, however it is not advisable to try to micromanage the process. A fine balance needs to be struck between making your expectations clear to the composer and infringing on his or her artistic creation.

Rights and privileges: The commissioner can take pride in participating in the act of creation and may be named on the title page. The commissioner also keeps a set of score and parts. The copyright remains with the creator. It can be messy if the commissioner tries to control this. The commissioner does not own the work. The composer is creator and owner of the intellectual property for the duration of his or her life plus fifty years. That copyright includes the performing right, the sheet music right (publishing), the mechanical right (to make recordings) the synchronization right (to use the recording in a film) and the moral right.

Right of first performance: It is worthwhile to decide on how long you will have the right of first performance. It may be six months, two years or two seasons, but this protects you and the composer. The composer can't arrange for some other premiere performance in that period, and it obviates the possibility of you delaying the premiere for several years and preventing other performances. Some performers do negotiate exclusive performance rights following the premiere.

There are less tangible issues which have to do with the mystery of artistic creation, rights and responsibilities and relationships in the emotionally charged atmosphere which may surround the birth of a new work. These should be taken into consideration.

The premiere: A world premiere is a special occasion and nerve-wracking for many composers. You are the composer's advocate and have a unique privilege and responsibility to launch the new creation, faithfully realizing the composer's intentions.

Artistic risk: When one performs an existing work, one is, so to speak, a consumer - like someone buying a suit off the rack. When one takes a risk on a new work one assumes the role of patron and becomes, in a sense, a co-creator of the artwork. Occasionally, a piece is delivered which is not as expected and this may test your artistic integrity. Give it the very best performance as the piece may work better than anticipated. The audience and posterity will decide the value of the work. Sadly, it sometimes happens the composer delivers a work the commissioner honestly believes he or she cannot premiere. This is a difficult decision not to be taken lightly.

Funding: Some performers and organizations pay commissions from their own funds while others raise the money from music commissioning agencies, corporations or individuals. At the very least, as a courtesy, one should confirm with the composer beforehand if the commission is contingent on receipt of funds. Music commissioning agencies will assess the reputation of the composer and the performer or performers, whether the composer is capable of fulfilling the commission and what impact the work will have on the community. They usually require confirmation that a performance will take place. Music commissioning agencies usually require documentation such as relevant scores and recordings to support an application. Decide if you or the composer will submit the documentation. Some agencies will not consider applications where documentation is incomplete or late. The Centre can provide these support materials if the selected composer is an Associate Composer who has deposited scores and recordings in the CMC library. Contact the CMC well in advance.

The staff and resources of the Canadian Music Centre are at your service!

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Lou Applebaum passed away at the age of 82, bringing to four the number of Canada's senior composers who have died at the beginning of the new century. Mr. Applebaum was an Associate Composer and Honourary Member of the Canadian Music Centre. The prolific composer and resourceful and affable administrator had a distinguished career. Battling cancer for many months, he continued his collaboration with Mavor Moore in completing the score for the opera Erewhon based on Samuel Butler's novel. He was unable to attend the sumptuous mainstage production of the work by Pacific Opera Victoria. In addition to his work with SOCAN and the Ontario Arts Council he had been co-chair of the Applebaum-Hébert Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee. The most fitting way Canada could honour his memory would be for the federal government to implement the recommendations with respect to Canadian music in the 1981 Report.

The distinguished composer Dr. Barbara Pentland, CM, OBC died peacefully, at home, after several years of living with Alzheimer's disease.

Barbara Pentland was one of Canada's most important, innovative and forward-looking composers. Known as a 'courageous explorer', she was always in the vanguard, discovering and experimenting with new techniques of contemporary music creation. Her music for voice, keyboard, chamber ensemble and orchestra reflects her lifelong concerns as an artist: "purity of line, economy of expression and directness of purpose".

Born in Winnipeg, she overcame illness and parental disapproval to pursue her chosen vocation, learning her craft in Paris, at the Juilliard School and the Berkshire Music Center where she worked with Aaron Copland. Her exposure to the music of Anton Webern and his school at Darmstadt in the mid-50s was an inspiration. She did not adopt twelve-tone orthodoxy rigidly but used the techniques as part of a unique language of her own. Uncompromising formal structure and language are suffused with an underlying emotionalism, lyricism and wry humour.

An accomplished pianist, she taught theory and composition at UBC from 1949 until her resignation in 1963 in protest against what she perceived to be declining academic standards. She was commissioned by organizations such as the CBC, Vancouver New Music, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, New Music Concerts and the now-defunct ensembles Purcell String Quartet and Days, Months and Years to Come. A recording of her piano music by her favourite interpreter, Robert Rogers, was released on the Centrediscs label. A biography was published by University of Toronto Press and two doctoral dissertations have been written about her music.

Dr. Pentland received Doctorates from the University of Manitoba and Simon Fraser University and the Diplôme d'Honneur of the Canadian Conference of the Arts. The City of Vancouver declared Barbara Pentland Day to celebrate her 75th birthday. Dr. Pentland was an Associate Composer and Honourary Member of the Canadian Music Centre. She was a passionate advocate of peace, justice, feminism and concern for the earth, as expressed in her works News, Ice Age and Tellus. Barbara Pentland wrote music in all genres including music for children. She completed her final work Adagio for cello and piano in December 1991.

She is remembered as BC's most generous benefactor of contemporary music. In her will, she endowed a trust for the Canadian Music Centre.

Violet Archer died in Ottawa at the age of 86. Dr. Archer's long-time home had been Edmonton, but in 1998 she moved to Ottawa to be closer to family. Dr. Archer was an Associate Composer and Honourary Member of the Canadian Music Centre.

Violet Balestreri Archer was born in Montreal and studied with Claude Champagne, Béla Bartok and most importantly, Paul Hindemith at Yale University. She taught theory and composition at Cornell University, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alberta. Throughout her life she was an indefatigable champion of Canadian music.

Dr. Archer was a prolific composer who wrote more than 220 works in many genres and was passionately committed to music for young people. David Duke describes Violet Archer as a "master of complex dissonant counterpoint and an artist who has often been inspired by simple folk materials; a pragmatist who has been able to reconcile creatively many of the major musical dialects of our century; an individual with a lively sense of adventure, diverse tastes and great sensitivity."

Dr. Archer was the most important benefactor of the Prairie Regional Office of the Canadian Music Centre. Her very generous gifts were matched by the University of Calgary and the Province of Alberta and it is entirely fitting the Canadian Music Centre library in Calgary was named in 1987 in her honour.

Jean Coulthard died in West Vancouver after suffering a stroke at the age of 92. The most important composer to come from British Columbia, she earned an unparalleled position as one of Canada's most beloved composers. Dr Coulthard was an Associate Composer and Honourary Member of the Canadian Music Centre.

Born in Vancouver, she wrote her first compositions under the supervision of her mother, a distinguished pianist. She studied at the Royal School of Music in London and in New York with Bernard Wagenaar, yet her most important teacher and mentor was probably Arthur Benjamin who coached her in Vancouver during the war years. It was after this she developed her characteristic style: a blend of traditional formal processes with polytonally based and chromatically enriched harmonies. Coulthard wrote many works such as her Concerto for Piano and Orchestra which were intentionally designed to be accessible to the general musical public as well as more abstract and uncompromising works such as her Octet. Her music is inspired by the dark brooding forests and sparkling streams of the west coast as well as European music and culture. She wrote more than 350 works in all genres including music for children. Several doctoral dissertations have been written about her music and her CD discography is perhaps the most extensive of any Canadian composer.
She taught at UBC in the School of Music from 1947 to 1973 and was awarded a Doctorate by UBC in 1988. She was awarded the Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia, declared "Composer of the Year" in 1984 by PRO-Canada and named Freeman of the City of Vancouver in 1978. In gratitude for this latter honour she wrote and dedicated to the City Vancouver Lights: A Soliloquy.

Her last work was Sonata in Three Movements for Solo Cello completed in 1997.

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Four CDs of the music of Murray Adaskin have been released (and are available through Canadian Music Centre Distribution Service). The most recent CD includes Woodwind Quintet #1 recorded by the Bergen woodwind quintet from Bergen, Norway and Sonatine Baroque by violinist Jack Glazer from Portugal.

Mark Armanini is making a recording of Heartland with the Orchid Ensemble, Chinese Folk Songs with Silk Road and Blue Green Canyons with the Vancouver Guitar Quartet.

The Snowball Classic 2000 - International Ballroom DanceSport Competition semi-finals and finals were danced entirely to the music of Michael Conway Baker. WTN taped the show for a 2 hour TV special aired April 16. A CD of this music was released during the competition available through http://www.michaelconwaybaker.com. On April 29 and 30 the premiere of Michael Conway Baker's newest work Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (Op. #117), with soloist Elizabeth Volpe, took place in Cranbrook and Nelson. Thanks to the SOCAN Foundation Michael Conway Baker was 'Composer in Residence' for the Cranbrook Symphony Orchestra at that time and gave a workshop on 'Music in Film.' On June 11, the World Oil Congress opening ceremonies in Calgary concluded with Michael Conway Baker's 10 minute Symphony of the Industry - a multi-media show with film and dancers. The composer will conduct his Celebration Canada (Op. #102) with a 100 piece orchestra in Kelowna for the Millennium Canada Day concert. He recently completed his Concerto #2 for Flute and Strings (Op.#115) which will be premiered in January 2001 by the Regina Symphony Orchestra. The Vancouver Youth Symphony is commissioning a work for performance in November 2000.

John Burke has received a commission from The Canada Council for the Arts to write a work for harpist Rita Costanzi.

Stephen Chatman has been commissioned by Michigan State University to compose a work for the Verdehr Trio (clarinet, violin, piano). He has completed commissions for the Port Alberni choir "Timbre", Vancouver Bach Youth Choir, Capilano Flute Choir and Frederick Harris Music Ltd. Shaughnessy Heights United Church Choir, conducted by Cathy Pedersen is touring Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island this summer. On the program are "Skidegate Love Song", "Mary Come Home" and "The Grand Hotel" from Five British Columbia Folk Songs, as well as "Calliope" from Songs of a Prospector by Steve Chatman. E.C. Schirmer is publishing Steve Chatman's Time Pieces and Come unto Me which was recently premiered in Hamilton.

Studea Musica is presenting a 50th birthday concert for David Gordon Duke, August 18 at Mt. Orford, Quebec. He will be Studea Musica composer-in-residence for the month of August.

Concerto for 13 Instruments by Itamar Erez was selected for the finals of the 18th ALEA III International Composition Competition. It was one of seven works selected from 150 submissions. All seven works will be premiered during a special concert September 30, 2000 in Boston.

Douglas Finch has been appointed Head of Keyboard faculty at Trinity College of Music, London. As Co-artistic Director of the Continuum Ensemble, he is arranging a series of concerts and workshops at St. Giles, Barbican Centre and the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, London. They will include one of his compositions for piano and larger ensemble pieces by composers working in Québec such as Michael Oesterle, Isabelle Panneton, Michel Gonneville, José Evangelista, Sean Ferguson, Jean Lesage and Denys Bouliane. B.C. composers are invited to send him piano and chamber music both for consideration by Continuum and student performance at Trinity College. Properly bound scores will be deposited in Trinity College library.

Keith Hamel and Bob Pritchard contributed two works to John Korsrud's Hard Rubber Orchestra "experimental ice capades."

Euphrosyne Keefer is completing For other Worlds and other Seas a work for flute and piano for Anne-Elise Keefer. She has been commissioned by the artist Karen Kulyk to set 13 poems by Janice Kulyk Keefer for soprano Carolyn Sinclair and pianist Michael Jarvis which will be part of a multi-media work.

Rudolf Komorous was a featured composer at the Third Vancouver New Music Festival, May 26 - June 1, 2000. A work commissioned by The Canada Council for the Arts was premiered. His String Sextet and The Seven Sides of Maxine's Silver Die written for pianist Eve Egoyan and nonet were heard. He was asked to make an arrangement of Stardust for the CBC Vancouver Orchestra to begin the program on which they played his Sinfony No. 1 (Stardust).

Nikolai Korndorf has written a third piece for cello and piano, privately commissioned by Ian Hampton. The CBC Vancouver Radio Orchestra conducted by Mario Bernardi is recording The Smile of Maud Lewis.

Diana McIntosh travels to Great Britain and Ireland this summer to perform 6 of her one-woman theatrical musical works in a program she has titled In, On and Around the Piano.

John Oliver has been commissioned by the Vancouver Guitar Quartet for a new work to be premiered in October 2000 in Vancouver and recorded for an all-Canadian CD. Victoria guitarist Alexander Dunn has commissioned a new guitar concerto for guitar and string quartet. Opus 102 publishers of Montréal have commissioned a work for alto saxophone and strings for the World Saxophone Congress 2000 in Montréal. The performance will take place on July 6. Cellist Ian Hampton has commissioned a piece for cello and piano to be premiered during Canada Music Week this November.

A.D. Perry has been writing some piano pieces inspired by art works of Francine Gravel and Gert Mass.

Arthur Polson will be conducting the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra in performances of Symphony No. 1 by Michael Conway Baker and The Big Top by Victor Davies on tour in England, Scotland, and Wales in the summer of 2001.

Rodney Sharman has been commissioned by the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (London, U.K.) to write a piano work for amateurs for their Spectrum series. He lectured on his own work this spring at the University of Calagary, Mount Royal College, Calgary and Stanford and UC Berkeley in California. He and Helmut Lachenmann of Germany are the featured composers at the Music Factory in Bergen, Norway in May 2001.

Doug Smith was commissioned by the Music Department of Douglas College to write a work which was premiered in January of this year. Student attendance at the premiere of Didactic Etudes was compulsory, so he wrote a piece using all performance faculty, with other faculty making up a small chorus and students making up a large chorus.

Tobin Stokes completed a cantata for the Orebro Choir from Sweden, Academy Chamber Choir and the Seoul National Orchestra to be premiered in the Gala opening concert of Kathaumixw 2000 in Powell River. Norma Selwood commissioned three works for soprano, clarinet and piano for premiere performance in May. His orchestration of Oscar Peterson's Hymn to Freedom was performed during the last Sympasti Festival in Finland, in Newfoundland by the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir and will be featured at Kathaumixw. His El Sol Del Sur for two pianists and two percussionists has been released on "The Book of Mirrors", a double disc set (CD & CD-ROM) which includes composer interviews, video footage from the recording session and detailed interactive analysis of the music. The item is available for sale from the CMC.

Barry Truax, who recently received one of SFU's three Awards for Teaching Excellence, was Guest Composer at the University of Florida in April, and De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K. in May. His Cambridge Street Publishing has issued a revised and updated CD-ROM version of the Handbook for Acoustic Ecology edited by Barry Truax. It is available for sale from the CMC. Pacific Dragon will be performed at the International Computer Music Conference in August in Berlin and Pendlerdrom will be performed in the Sound Escape conference at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario on June 30.

Elliot Weisgarber is launching forth on extensive revisions of his major orchestral works. He is preparing his Violin Concerto of 1974 for future performance by Nancy Di Novo. On May 26 and 28 Clyde Mitchell conducted his 1999 revision of A Northumbrian Elegy. He originally wrote the work in 1977 as a memorial for his friend David Barlow, Lecturer at King's College Newcastle-on-Tyne and a close friend since their studies with Nadia Boulanger.

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This listing emphasizes performances of Canadian music in BC and performances of music by BC composers wherever they take place. A few performances elsewhere by Canadian composers outside BC are listed. This calendar is not comprehensive and represents only a fraction of Canadian musical activity.

7, 8 & 10 Stephen Chatman Fanfare for the Millennium, Full Moon Dream Premiere B.C. Arts Council commission, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Sergiu Comissiona, conductor; Orpheum, Vancouver.

8 Murray Adaskin Piano Quartet Adaskin String Trio & Jamie Parker; Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

12 Hope Lee Nabripamo, Kovalis Duo; Recital Hall, School of Music, UBC.

13 Doug Smith Didactic Etudes Premiere Faculty Concert; Douglas College Music; Douglas College, New Westminster, BC.

14 Anita Sleeman Capriccio for Trombone, Violin and Orchestra Premiere Dale Sorenson, trombone, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Susan Haig, conductor; Windsor, Ont.

14 Tobin Stokes Theme and Deviations Premiere Drum Heat Productions Society commission, Sal Ferreras, marimba; West Point Grey United Church, Vancouver.

21 Mark Armanini Coastal Lines Michael Strutt, guitar; Vancouver Art Gallery.

22 & 23 R. Murray Schafer Cortège Okanagan Symphony, Douglas Sanford, conductor; Kelowna, BC. Repeated in Salmon Arm, Vernon and Penticton.
22 Murray Adaskin Fanfare for Orchestra Regina Symphony Orchestra; Saskatchewan Centre for the Arts, Regina, Sask.

26 Michael Conway Baker "Music & Movies" Music in the Morning; Koerner Recital Hall, Vancouver Academy of Music.

26 John Greer Elegy to a Calf Diane Loeb, soprano, Richard Epp, piano; Recital Hall, UBC School of Music.

4, 5 & 6 Ramona Luengen Maude Premiere Sequitur Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, New York, NY.

4 & 5 Michael Conway Baker music for Snowball Classic 2000 - International Ballroom DanceSport Competition semi-finals and finals; Vancouver.

5 Nikolai Korndorf Welcome! Premiere, Bob Pritchard Three Songs of Life Premiere, Vancouver New Music Women's Choir, Owen Underhill, director. Omar Daniel Das Buch der Bilder commissioned work Premiere, Three Arias Heather Pawsey, soprano, Vancouver New Music Ensemble, Owen Underhill, director; Ryerson Church, Vancouver.

11 Chan Ka Nin And the Masks Evoke... for violin, violoncello and piano, Gryphon Trio, Vancouver Sun Community Concert Series; Vancouver Academy of Music.

12 & 14 Rodney Sharman Symphony Premiere Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Kazuyoshi Akiyama, conductor; Orpheum, Vancouver.

13 Stephen Chatman Roses I Send to You and Remember Kantorei Chamber Choir, David Ferguson, director; Calgary, AB.
13 Steven Chatman Time Pieces Premiere commissioned by Capriccio Vocal Ensemble in celebration of its tenth anniversary, Capriccio Vocal Ensemble, Michael Gormley, conductor; Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria.

13 Ian Crutchley Spine Premiere Helikon Ensemble, Wallace Leung, conductor, The Little Chamber Music Series That Could; Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

15 Rodney Sharman Letters for the Future Calgary Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, Hans Graf, conductor; Jack Singer Hall, Calgary.

16 Rodney Sharman Opera Transcriptions: La Rondine, Turandot, Madama Butterfly Rachel Iwaasa, piano; Banff Centre, Banff AB.

16 Melissa Hui Premiere CBC commission, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Simon Streatfeild, conductor; Winnipeg.

18 Melissa Hui CBC commission, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Simon Streatfeild, conductor; Knox United Church, Calgary, AB.

18 David Gordon Duke Canticle for 14 Solo Strings Premiere Rodney Sharman Anthem: Passing of the Claimant Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, musica intima, Clyde Mitchell, conductor; Chan Centre, Vancouver.

18 Udo Kasemets The Eight Houses of the I Ching Victoria Symphony Strings, Christopher Butterfield, conductor, Tic Toc Festival; Alix Goolden Hall, Victoria.

19, 24 & 26 Louis Applebaum and Mavor Moore (librettist) Erewhon Premiere Music Canada Musique 2000, Pacific Opera, Timothy Vernon, conductor; Royal Theatre, Victoria.

19 Michael Conway Baker Concerto #1 for Flute and Strings (Op. 27) Liesa Norman, flute, Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, Wallace Leung, conductor; Shaughnessy Heights United Church, Vancouver.

20 Bradshaw Pack Ellipses (...) gleaning eidolons, Linda Bouchard Réciproque, Standing Wave; Vancouver East Cultural Centre, Vancouver.

22 Nikolai Korndorf Echo for 2 choirs and ensemble Premiere GroundSwell choir and ensemble, Henry Engbrecht, conductor; Winnipeg.

26 Ian McDougall Fanfare for the Millennium Premiere SOCAN commission, Civic Orchestra of Victoria, Jean-Marie Kent, conductor; Central Baptist Auditorium, Victoria.

27 Murray Adaskin Woodwind Quintet No. 1 (1974) Bergen Woodwind Quintet, Victoria.

27 Rodney Sharman Suspended Waltz Premiere Rita Costanzi, harp; Pender Harbour, BC.

29 March 1, 2 & 3 Gilles Tremblay À Quelle Heure commence le temps José Evangelista Alap & Gat Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Lorraine Vaillancourt, director, Music in the Morning; Koerner Recital Hall, Vancouver Academy of Music.

1 Stephen Chatman There is Sweet Music and Rose-cheek'd Laura Augustana Choir, Jan Hurtry, director; Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY.

3 Nikolai Korndorf In D Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Marc David, conductor; Kitchener. Repeated March 4.

4 Peter Paul Koprowski Sweet Baroque, Stephen Chatman Clarinet Concerto, Prairie Dawn, Imant Raminsh Violin Concerto. Sally Arai, clarinet, Robert Davidovici, violin, Kamloops Symphony, Bruce Rodney Dunn, conductor; Sagebrush Theatre, Kamloops.

5 Murray Adaskin Sonatine Baroque Jack Glatzer, violin; Victoria.

7 - 12 Robert J. Rosen music for X-Roads, new Kokoro Dance Production; Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver.

10 Barry Truax Pendlerdrom; Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.

14 David Gordon Duke. . . but what is the nature of time? piano duet Premiere Canada Council for the Arts commission, Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association Convention.

17 Owen Underhill Quintet for Trombone and Strings Premiere Jeremy Berkman, trombone, Vetta Chamber Music, West Point Grey United Church, Vancouver.

17 Brian Tate In the Garden of Time Premiere UBC Chamber Strings, Eric Wilson, conductor, Chan Centre, UBC.

18 Anita Sleeman Cryptic Variations Premiere commissioned by Vancouver Community College Wind Ensemble, Jerry Domer, conductor; Caulfeild Auditorium, West Vancouver, BC.

19 & 20 Jacques Hétu Symphonie No. 3 Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Kees Bakels, music director designate; Farquhar Auditorium - UVic Centre, Victoria.

21 Gary Kulesha Premiere Canada Council for the Arts commission, David Moroz, piano, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Simon Streatfeild, conductor; Winnipeg.

24 Rodney Sharman Cabaret Songs: Tobacco Road Barbara Ebbeson, mezzo soprano, Leslie Dala, piano, Sonic Boom; Western Front, Vancouver.

25 Jean Coulthard A Walk in the Forest, Etude #2, "Legend" from Aegean Sketches, Sylvia Rickard Songs of the Loon, Elliot Weisgarber The Surface of the Water at Misaka, Murray Adaskin Eskimo Melodies, Jean Ethridge Two Songs for Baritone Honours Concert 2000, dedicated to the memory of Jean Coulthard, O.C. O.B.C.; Falkland Community Church, Falkland, BC.

25 Mark Armanini Green and Gold: Black and White Premiere Heidi Krutzen, harp, Vivian Xia, yangqin, Sonic Boom; Western Front, Vancouver.

26 Rudolf Komorous Sinfony No. 1 "Stardust", Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Peter McCoppin, conductor laureate; Royal Theatre, Victoria, Repeated March 27.

26 Euphrosyne Keefer A Fragrant Zodiack Karen Noel-Bentley, clarinet, Zoltan Roysnyai 'cello, Sonic Boom; Western Front, Vancouver.

28 Srul Irving Glick Sinfonia Concertante Canada West Chamber Orchestra, Wallace Leung, conductor; Gateway Theatre, Richmond.

31 Rodney Sharman Parhelia Clemens Merkel, violin; Brechemin Auditorium, University of Washington School of Music, Seattle, WA.

2 Brian Tate This Island Premiere The Richmond Orchestra and Chorus, Chris Robertson, conductor; Gateway Theatre, Richmond.

7 Linda Nessel In Limine Premiere Music Canada Musique 2000 commission, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Keri-Lynn Wilson, conductor; Orpheum, Vancouver. Repeated April 8, 10.

7 R. Murray Schafer The Star Princess and the Waterlilies Judith Forst, mezzo-soprano, Coastal Sound Children's Concert Choir, Clyde Mitchell, conductor; Chandos Pattison Auditorium, Surrey.

8 Malcolm Forsyth Snug the Joiner as Lion Fell Premiere commissioned work, Chor Leoni, Diane Loomer, conductor; West Vancouver United Church.

9 Chan Ka Nin The Land Beautiful Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Paul Andreas Mahr, guest conductor; Farquhar Auditorium - UVic Centre. Repeated Monday April 10.

14 John Burke Journey of Awakening Premiere co-production with CBC, Jane Hayes, piano and chamber ensemble; Roundhouse Community Centre, Vancouver.

15 Bradshaw Pack Arioso Distante Premiere Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Marc Destrubé, director; Shaughnessy Heights United Church, Vancouver.

15 Bob Pritchard Begin the Begame Premiere, Keith Hamel Ice! Premiere, Peter Hannan Seven Hours Premiere, The Ice Age: The World's First New Music Ice Show, Hard Rubber Orchestra, John Korsrud, conductor; Kerrisdale Arena, Vancouver.

15 Imant Raminsh Bassoon concerto Premiere George Zukerman, bassoon, Mexico State Symphony, Enrique Batiz, conductor.

16 Mark Armanini Concerto for Yangqin, Premiere Vivian Xia, yangqin, British Columbia Chamber Orchestra, Francis Kan, conductor; Vancouver Playhouse.

16 Bruce Mather Bourgeil Premiere, Itamar Erez Ritornello III Premiere, Ritornello I, Standing Wave; Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

19 Patrick Cardy Autumn Teresa Connors, mezzo-soprano, Vivienne Wang, piano, Alba Luminoso: Elegy, Song and Vocalise, Double Helix and Vancouver Women's Musical Club; Unitarian Church, Vancouver.

26 Imant Raminsh "Songs of Earth and Sky", a concert of chamber, vocal, choral and orchestral music of Raminsh, Community Concerts; Vernon, BC.

29 Barry Truax Basilica LEAPS Live Electronic Performance Arts Series, Vancouver Pro Musica: Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, Vancouver.

29 Michael Conway Baker Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (Op. #117) Premiere Elizabeth Volpe, harp, Symphonie of the Kootenays; Cranbrook, BC. Repeated April 30 in Nelson.

30 Stephen Chatman Prairie Dawn Saskatoon Symphony, Earl Stafford, conductor; Saskatoon, Sask.

3 R. Murray Schafer Seventeen Haiku, Magic Songs The Utaoni Choir, Nobuyuki Koshiba, conductor, presented by David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communication, Simon Fraser University; Ryerson Church, Vancouver.

5 Mark Armanini arr. Song of the Mountain Stream, Nomads Rustic Song, Silk Road: Shadbolt Theatre, Burnaby.

6 Sergio Barroso Sandunga Premiere François Houle, clarinet, Au Coeur du Litige, Vancouver New Music; Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

9 Barry Truax Pendlerdrom; City University, London U.K.

9 & 10 Chan Ka Nin The Land Beautiful Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Paul Andreas Mahr, guest conductor; Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria.

10 & 11 Oskar Morawetz Carnival Overture Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Clyde Mitchell, conductor; Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver.

12 Lionel Daunais Figures de Danse Vancouver Chamber Choir, Jon Washburn, conductor; Ryerson United Church, Vancouver.

12 Sylvia Rickard Lullaby Premiere Leila Lustig Premiere Cathy Lewis, soprano, Christine Prince, viola, "Women's Words"; Alix Goolden Hall, Victoria.

13 Steve Chatman Seattle Red and Good Bye Old Timer Premiere Timbre, Patricia Miller, conductor; Port Alberni, BC.

15 Stephen Chatman Fanfare for the Millennium, Frederick Schipizky abridged arr. themes from Beethoven Symphony #9 Premiere Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and massed orchestra of 6,000, Bramwell Tovey, conductor (Guinness Book of World Records); BC Place Stadium, Vancouver.

18 Rodney Sharman Symphony Premiere Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Sergiu Comissiona, conductor; Massey Theatre, New Westminster.

19 Lloyd Burritt Two arias from his new opera Premiere Tyler Duncan, bass, John Bacon, tenor, Erika Switzer, piano; Vancouver Academy of Music.
20 Imant Raminsh Odyssey Okanagan Symphony, Douglas Sanford, conductor; Kelowna, BC. Repeated May 21 in Vernon, BC. Repeated May 22 in Penticton, BC.

26 Elliot Weisgarber A Northumbrian Elegy Premiere 1999 revision, West Coast Symphony, Clyde Mitchell, conductor; Old Auditorium, UBC.

26 Linda Bouchard The Open Life Premiere Canada Council commission, Linda Bouchard, conductor, Owen Underhill Lines of Memory, Owen Underhill, conductor, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver New Music Festival; Orpheum.

27 Sylvia Rickard Epitaph Premiere, John Oliver How often can you cry? Premiere, Rodney Sharman The Anglo Tango Premiere, Tobacco Road, Linda Smith Nostalgia, Barbara Ebbeson, mezzo-soprano, Leslie Dala, piano, Vancouver New Music Festival; Festival House, Granville Island, Vancouver 11:00 pm.

28 John Oliver 11 Premiere, Tim Brady Invention 8. . . of Julie's Dance Vancouver Pro Musica Vancouver New Music Festival; Arts Club Theatre

28 Elliot Weisgarber A Northumbrian Elegy Premiere 1999 revision, West Coast Symphony, Clyde Mitchell, conductor; Bowen Island, B.C.

28 Nikolai Korndorf Quartet Premiere Vetta String Quartet Vancouver New Music Festival; Festival House Studio, 11:00 pm.

29 Michael Bushnell Cloud, Castle, Lake, commissioned by Standing Wave Linda Bouchard Réciproque Peter Hannan your ghost: my machine Premiere, commissioned by Standing Wave, Standing Wave, Vancouver New Music Festival; Arts Club Theatre.

30 Rudolf Komorous Stardust (arr.) Premiere, Sinfony No. 1 (Stardust). Conlon Nancarrow transcribed by James Tenney Five Studies for Player Piano Premiere commissioned by Music Canada Musique 2000 Festival Inc, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Owen Underhill, conductor, Vancouver New Music Festival; Vancouver Playhouse Theatre.

31 Michael Oesterle Daydream Mechanics, Premiere Jocelyn Morlock Icarus, landing, Premiere, Rudolf Komorous Lurid Bride Premiere, Linda Bouchard Sept Couleurs Vancouver New Music Ensemble, Owen Underhill, conductor, Vancouver New Music Festival; Arts Club Theatre.

1 Rudolf Komorous The Seven Sides of Maxine's Silver Die, Linda Bouchard Ductwork and winning compositions of the VNMS biennial Emerging Composers Competition, Vancouver New Music Festival; Arts Club Theatre.

4 Stephen Chatman Come Unto Me for SATB and organ Premiere commissioned by Central Presbyterian Church, General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Canada; Hamilton, Ontario.

4 David Gordon Duke Invocations Premiere William Bruneau, piano; Kamloops, BC.

6 Rodney Sharman Long Life - Happy Birthday a collective composition in celebration of Gerhard Stabler's fiftieth birthday, Jeff Kowalkowski, piano, Northwestern University Music Marathon; Chicago/Evanston, Regenstein Hall.

9 Mark Armanini Heartland Premiere, Randy Raine-Reusch, Black Zheng(arr) Premiere, Orchid Ensemble; Roundhouse, Vancouver.

11 Michael Conway Baker Symphony of the Industry Premiere multi-media show with film and dancers, World Oil Congress opening ceremonies; Calgary, AB.

17 Peter Hannan, Henry Kucharzyk Dexter Sinister PHH!K with Ron Samworth electric guitar, CD release concert; Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

19 Peter Hannan concert arrangement of his score to Karen Jamieson's dance The River, Ensemble Symposium, Vancouver Pro Musica; Unitarian Church, Vancouver.

1 Michael Conway Baker Celebration Canada (Op. #102) with a 100 piece orchestra, Michael Conway Baker, conductor, Millennium Canada Day concert; Kelowna, BC.

2 Mark Armanini and Paul Plimley Fingertips to Freedom Concerto Premiere Coastal Jazz and Blues Society Canada Council Millennium commission, Paul Plimley, piano, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, John Zoltek, conductor, duMaurier International Jazz Festival; Vogue Theatre, Vancouver.

4 Stephen Chatman Fanfare for the Millennium, Oscar Peterson arr. Tobin Stokes Hymn to Freedom, Tobin Stokes The Spacious Firmament and Cantata No. 1 in D Premiere BC Millennium 2000 commission, Sally Anne Russell, mezzo soprano, Steven Price, baritone, Academy Chamber Choir, Orebro Chamber Choir, Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, Don James, conductor, International Choral Kathaumixw; Great Hall, Powell River, BC.

6 John Oliver new work for saxophone and strings Premiere commissioned by Opus 102 Publishers, World Saxophone Congress; Montréal, PQ.

8 Chan Ka Nin, Malcolm Forsyth, Keith Hamel, David K. MacIntyre Elektra Women's Choir, Morna Edmundson and Diane Loomer, Co-Directors, showcase of Elektra presentations at Podium 2000 and ISME; Ryerson Church, Vancouver, 8:00 pm.

8 Ramona Luengen Wer Bist Du, Süsses Licht Premiere Phoenix Chamber Choir, Ramona Luengen, conductor; Banff Centre, Banff, AB.

15 Imant Raminsh Recordare Phoenix Chamber Choir and Orchestra, Banff Festival; Banff.

15 Composers' Day with Christopher Donison, Eighteenth Annual Victoria Piano Summer School, University of Victoria.

17 - 22 Rupert Lang Premiere Imant Raminsh Premiere, ISME (International Society for Music Education) Conference; Edmonton, AB.

23 Barbara Pentland Adagio Denise Djokic, cello, Richard Raymond, piano, Vancouver Chamber Music Festival; Crofton House School, Vancouver 8:15 pm.

31 Salvador Ferreras Los Dones de la Tierra, Don MacDonald Luz Divina, Chor Leoni Men's Choir and Uzume Taiko Ensemble, Festival Vancouver; Christ Church Cathedral, 5:00 pm.

31 Chan Ka Nin Among Friends, Vancouver Chamber Music Festival Ensemble, Festival Vancouver; Crofton House School, Vancouver, 8:00 pm.

1 Chan Ka Nin Among Friends, Vancouver Chamber Music Festival Ensemble, Festival Vancouver; Vancouver Playhouse, 12:15 pm.

1 Jacques Hétu, Premiere Phoenix Chamber Choir, Tobin Stokes Premiere Elektra Women's Choir, Festival Vancouver commissions, both on the text of Psalm 102, "Hear my Prayer, O Lord," Festival Vancouver; Christ Church Cathedral, 5:00 pm.

2 R. Murray Schafer String Quartets (complete 1 to 7) St. Lawrence, Penderecki and Molinari String Quartets, Festival Vancouver and Music in the Morning; Chan Centre, 11:00 am - - 4:00 pm.

3 David MacIntyre Ave Maria Chan Ka Nin, Malcolm Forsyth Elektra Women's Choir, Morna Edmundson and Diane Loomer, co-directors, Festival Vancouver; Christ Church Cathedral, 5:00 pm.

3 R. Murray Schafer Four Forty Premiere commissioned work for string quartet and string orchestra, St. Lawrence String Quartet CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mario Bernardi, conductor, Festival Vancouver; Chan Centre, 8:00 pm.

7 Works by seven B.C. composers: Vancouver Chamber Choir, Chor Leoni, Phoenix, Elektra, Vancouver Cantata Singers, Vancouver Bach Choir, musica intima, Festival Vancouver; Christ Church Cathedral, 5:00 pm.

8 Barrie Cabena, Peter Togni The Victoria Scholars, Jerzy Cichoki, conductor, Festival Vancouver; Christ Church Cathedral, 5:00 pm.

8 Omar Daniel Concerto for Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Kazuyoshi Akiyama, conductor, Festival Vancouver; Chan Centre, 8:00 pm.

9 Michael Bushnell A Short History of the Twentieth Century Premiere plus other electroacoustic works curated by Michael Bushnell, Festival Vancouver: La Maison de Francophonie 1545 West 7th Ave. 11:00 pm.

11, 13, 15, 17 & 19 Leslie Uyeda and Tom Cone (librettist) Game Misconduct Premiere Festival Vancouver commission, Festival Vancouver; Vancouver Playhouse, 8:00 pm.

18 David Gordon Duke 50th birthday concert, Studea Musica; Mount Orford, Québec.

26 Rodney Sharman Cabaret Songs: Send Me a Scout (text by Bill Richardson) Premiere, The Anglo Tango and Tobacco Road. Other compositions by David Gordon Duke (Premiere), Christopher Butterfield, Sylvia Rickard, and John Oliver. Barbara Ebbeson, mezzo-soprano, Leslie Dala, piano. Gabriola Community Centre, Gabriola, BC 8:00 pm.

15 & 16 Rodney Sharman Still Light - Fanfare for Chihuly Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, bramwell Tovey, conductor; Centennial Theatre, Winnipeg, MB.
23 Ramona Luengen Letters on Sunspots Premiere commissioned work Gemini (twin sisters playing piano 4 hands, piano & recorder and piano & flute), Coast Recital Series: Sechelt, BC.

23 & 25 Kelly-Marie Murphy Premiere commissioned work Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey, conductor; Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, 8:00 pm.

28 Kelly-Marie Murphy Premiere commissioned work Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey, conductor; Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver, 8:00 pm.

30 Itamar Erez Concerto for 13 Instruments finals of the 18th ALEA III International Composition Competition; Boston, MA.

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