NOVEMBER 2008
www.celtic-connection.com
Page 13
Dylan Thomas Circle Contributes to Cambrian Hall Fund
VANCOUVER - Members at the annual general meeting and gathering of the Dylan Thomas Circle on October 25 contributed 0700 to the Cambrian Hall restoration fund. Over the summer, damage to the building caused by water penetration resulted in repairs costing over 020,000.
The annual general meeting also elected new officers for the coming year. David Webb was re-elected president, while Neville Thomas stays on as vice-president.
The past president is Don Thomas, treasurer is Wynford Owen and membership secretary is Victor Owen. Members-at-large are Don Crowson, James Lloyd, Joy Adamson, Hilary Parizeau, Paul Lievesley and Trevor Found.
Following the annual general meeting, the Circle welcomed two guest speakers. Well-known Vancouver writer, media and theatre critic David Watmough spoke of The Celtic Dylan Who Never Died.
David Watmough has been The Vancouver Sura's art critic and has hosted many CBC programs. He is
By EIFION WILLIAMS
also a prominent member of the Vancouver Cornish Society.
The second guest speaker was Dr. Sean Somers, a lecturer in the English Department at UBC. Dr. Somers has lived in both Ireland and Wales and has given talks to a variety of audiences on the works of such literary figures as WB Yeats and James Joyce, as well as Dylan Thomas.
His presentation to the Dylan Thomas Circle discussed the link between Thomas's poetry and English romanticism as represented by John Keats.
The next event on the Circle's calendar is the annual Evening of Christmas Cheer at the Cambrian Hall, highlighted by a reading of A Child's Christmas in Wales, followed by "much carolling, mulled wine and seasonal treats."
We asked for your views on VANOC's decision regarding the SFU Pipe Band Here are some of responses:
Last month, we told our readers about the disappointing decision by the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee to decline an offer by the five-time world champion Simon Fraser University Pipe Band to participate in the official opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games.
We asked you for your views and here
is a sampling of the opinions: •
I find this news objectionable and VANOC may even be a little embarrassed that the new CBC Hockey Night in Canada anthem features bagpipes! They are as Canadian as we can get - and SFU is a Canadian band to be proud of. I send my heartfelt congratulations to the SFU Pipe Band in their recent World Championship win.
- Sally Garen Canmore Highland Games www.canmorehighlandgames.ca •
To turn down the most preeminent pipe band in the world, and one with its headquarters right here! The arrogance of the VANOC people is simply a reflection of the IOC itself who, of course, own the Olympics lock stock and barrel, just like any breakfast cereal. This is just the kind of thing one has learned to expect from them. One more reason to ignore the 2010 doings.
- Jim Derham
•
Don't confuse winning the world championships as entertainment. The SFU Pipe Band is truly spectacular with their musical abilities, but the few selected sets of music they play is forjudges and
a few thousand pipe band enthusiasts, not the general public who sadly can only remember the "only" two tunes pipers are known to play: Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace.
Other pipe bands in the local area would take exception to have SFU as their representative for the Cultural Olympiad '09.
The Vancouver Police Pipe Band would say they are the official band of the City of Vancouver and should be there, the Royal Canadian Legion Pipe Bands who can combine to create a huge band will say they should be honoured.
The military pipe bands [Seaforth or Canadian Scottish] would think they should be there. There is also the RCMP PB, New West PB, Delta Police PB, and many other pipe bands in the GVRD. And don't forget the other pipe bands throughout the province.
Many of the other pipe bands will wear the perceived traditional uniform of Highland dress, that military look with feathered bonnet. SFU's uniform is evolving and is very distinctive from any other pipe
band. You have to wonder what statement they are making by looking so different.
SFU would have to combine with its feeder bands [four Robert Malcolm PB's] to amass sufficient numbers to even compare to other cultural bands, i.e. Chinese brass bands -150 members.
A few years ago the SFU PB was the entertainment band at a Legion Highland Games banquet. After the first set of music, they were boring as all the music sounded the same, technically perfect though!
Looking through The Celtic Connection there are many talented musicians who would represent the Scottish or Celtic culture much better than SFU.
VANOC is looking at the big picture of entertainment.
I am a retired piper from Legion Band for 13 years and now learning the fiddle and member of Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra. - Vic Smith •
Disgraceful.. .what a slap in the face to a world class pipe band, probably from the wrong culture...
-Alex Park
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The evening will also include a madrigal song and dance. This popular annual event sells out very quickly. For tickets, contact (604) 921-7699, or e-mail:
donaldthomas @telus .net.
In other Dylan Thomas news, the film biopic on the poet, The Edge of Love, starring Keira Knightly, Sienna Miller, Matthew Rhys and Cillian Murphy, has been released in the UK to mixed reviews.
The film, which is based on a 1945 episode in the poet's life while living in Newquay, Wales, premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June. The film is expected to be released in North America some time in November.
Future visitors to Dylan's home town of Swansea will be able to sleep in the very room where the poet was born and where he wrote much of his early poetry.
A city businessman and his wife have restored the interior of the Edwardian terraced house at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive to replicate what it would have looked like when Dylan lived there. The house will be available from December 3 as self-catering accommodation but, in line with the 1914 theme, there will be no television, telephone or radio.
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