National Network for Equitable Library Service

Although she called herself "just a singer," soprano Lois Marshall (1925-97) became a household name across Canada during her thirty-four year career and remains one of the foremost figures in the history of Canadian music. She rubbed shoulders with Canada's musical aristocracy – Glenn Gould, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Jon Vickers, Maureen Forrester – but Marshall always held first place in the hearts of her adoring fans. At the height of the Cold War, Moscow and St. Petersburg embraced her as warmly as Canada had.

Let's Dance: A Celebration of Ontario's Dance Halls and Summer Dance Pavilions is a nostalgic musical journey, recapturing the unforgettable music of youth and lasting friendships, the days when the live mellow sounds of Big Bands wafted through the air – Louis Armstrong, the Dorsey Brothers, Bert Niosi, Art Hallman, Johnny Downs, Mart Kenney, Bobby Kinsman, Ronnie Hawkins ...

Every object around us contains the history of all the people and places that brought it here. But rarely is that history explored. In this book, instead of breaking an object apart to reveal those stories, they are told by building the object a guitar named Storyteller from scratch. The text and illustrations reveal the rich lives of the people, places, and projects that breathed life into it. The stories range from people who were pioneers in landscape restoration to those involved with automobile manufacturing.

The Royal Conservatory of Music, founded in 1886, is rich in history and genius. Its long tradition of excellence in musical training and examining places it among the leading music schools of the world. Glenn Gould, Lois Marshall, Teresa Stratas, Jon Vickers, Mario Bernardi, and many other international artists have studied there. Amply illustrated, with over forty photographs dating back to the school's first years, this book is an unvarnished account of its controversial leaders, its successes and failures, its encounters with the musical and academic world, and its passions.

Short-listed for the 2002 Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research In the seventy years since 1931, various organizations large and small, including several semi-private ones, have issued or re-issued various original 78 rpm recordings from original metal plates. No comprehensive listing of these has ever before appeared; this is the first, and gathers together all the various information of ongoing interest. This is a most important addition to the record-collecting bibliography.

For almost twelve years, Jean Beaulne was a member of the Baronets "the Beatles of Quebec" along with René Angélil. In this book, he has collaborated with writer and journalist Jean Beaunoyer to tell the untold story of René Angélil and Céline Dion. Previously unknown details of René Angélil’s personal and professional life are revealed in this unprecedented investigation into the man who orchestrated one of the foremost successes in the history of show business.

It started with a festival - three classic operas performed in a theatre in Toronto. But when it became apparent that there was a need for a national opera company, an organization was founded that would go on to become one of the largest performing arts organizations in the country. The Canadian Opera Company was born in 1950, and is now one of the major opera companies in North America.

Music Makers examines and celebrates the extraordinary lives of composer Harry Freedman and his partner, soloist Mary Morrison.Harry, with roots in jazz and popular music, was a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 25 years. Canada’s Composer of the Year in 1979, he has written an enormous repertoire that celebrates Canada and is sung and played around the world.After a stellar career in Canada as a popular singer and opera diva, Mary became an esteemed exponent of Canadian vocal works.

In addition to his activities as conductor, administrator, educator, composer, and organist, Sir Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973) found time to write more than one hundred essays and lectures on music.

Canadian composer Louis Applebaum devoted his life to the cultural awakening of his native land, and this "magnificent obsession" drove him to become a founder of the Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Centre. He was an instrumental figure in the early development of the National Film Board, the Stratford Festival, and the National Art Centre in Ottawa. For nearly half a century he composed music for the Stratford Festival, television, radio, and films.