2008

Music for Voice, Viola and Piano, January 4, 2008

A recital on the evening of Friday, January 4, featured Saskatoon musicians Chris Kelly, bass-baritone, James Legge, violist, and Gregory Schulte, pianist. Contralto Lisa Hornung, who was originally scheduled to appear, was ill, and Mr. Kelly replaced her, giving a stellar performance of works by Purcell/Britten, Schubert, and others. Themes of the festive season were reflected in the vocal repertoire in recognition of Christmas-Epiphany as it was concluding in the western calendar and beginning in the Eastern tradition. The music for viola and piano included works by Bach and Bloch. The recital was dedicated to two graduates of the Lyell Gustin Piano Studios, both recently deceased, Dr. Martha Blum and Alphonse Gerwing, OC. Gustin House is deeply grateful to Mr. Kelly for his fine artistry and generous collaboration in presenting the recital of January 4. We acknowledge gratefully the Saskatchewan Arts Board for support of the 2008 Lyell Gustin Recital Series. Bill’s House of Flowers on Broadway provided beautiful presentation flowers for the artists. Photo by Michael Pomedli.

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Celebrating Trounce House in its 125th Anniversary Year, February 17, 2008

In a program entitled “Letters from the Temperance Colony and Music of the Era,” a gathering at Gustin House celebrated Saskatoon’s oldest building, which is part of the Gustin property at 512 Tenth Street.

Built in 1883, the Trounce House was bought by Harry and Bessie Trounce who lived there from 1884 to 1887. From the wonderfully detailed letters written by Mrs. Trounce to her family in England, Margo Rashley and Sue Barrett read excerpts about life in early Saskatoon. The musical program surrounding the reading of the letters comprised works by composers of the day--among them, Brahms, Debussy, Dvorak, Paderewski and Willan, all of whom were born in the 1800s. The pianists were Mary Barrett-Lenz, Alexandra Diederichsen, Yvanna Li, Gregory Schulte and Karen Sterner.

This event marking Heritage Week fell near the 20th anniversary of the death of Lyell Gustin (February 7, 1988), and a special musical commemoration was given by Mary Barrett-Lenz, who had performed for Mr. Gustin in hospital during his last days. Gustin House thanks the performers and guest readers for the donation of time and services for this program in support of our heritage work.

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Saxophone and Piano in Recital, April 20, 2008

Allen Harrington, one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, returned home to Saskatoon to give a recital with pianist Laura Loewen. Their colourful program included a Baroque sonata and Debussy’s famous Rapsodie, along with various compositions of the 20th century. The recital was given on Sunday, April 20, before a large audience at St. James Anglican Church, Saskatoon. The Harrington/Loewen Duo will soon release a CD of Canadian works for saxophone and piano.

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Provincial Heritage Property

On April 24, 2008, the Province of Saskatchewan formally declared the Dr. Lyell Gustin Residence, Saskatoon, a Provincial Heritage Property in recognition of the wide-reaching and enduring musical influence of Lyell Gustin. The following is the heritage significance statement as given in the Saskatchewan Register of Heritage Property.

"The property is associated with Dr. Lyell Gustin, a renowned music educator in Saskatchewan whose piano studios were located in his residence for 60 years. Dr. Gustin was instrumental in founding the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ Association in the 1930s, and served as president of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association, 1941-1946, and as Chair of the Music Committee of the Saskatchewan Arts Board from 1952 to 1964.

"The Gustin House has remained relatively intact from the period when it housed the Lyell Gustin Piano Studios. The contents of the Gustin House also contribute to the property’s heritage value.

"The Trounce House, built in 1883, is the oldest remaining building in Saskatoon, and one of the oldest surviving houses in Saskatchewan and contributes to the property’s overall significance."

The Gustin/Trounce Heritage Committee warmly thanks all volunteers, donors and friends of Gustin House locally and across the continent for the outpouring of support that has facilitated our artistic endeavours and paved the way for this honour! For financial assistance in the restoration of Gustin House in 2005, we acknowledge with gratitude the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation and the City of Saskatoon.

The Arts in a New Age, May 18, 2008

An afternoon gathering at Gustin House celebrated the arts of our time. Yann Martel, internationally-known author, spoke about creativity of artists and encouraged the habit of cultural receptivity in audiences. Soprano Sarah Vardy, with collaborative pianist Mark Turner, performed repertoire spanning the 20th-century, from late works of Rachmaninoff to Barber and Rodrigo.

This program, which also commemorated the birth anniversary of Lyell Gustin (b. May 31, 1895), was the first event held at Gustin House since its designation in April 2008 as Provincial Heritage Property.

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Trio Colore performs Chamber Music Masterpieces, August 18, 2008

On Monday evening, August 18, Gustin House presented a recital of chamber music at Grace-Westminster United Church, Saskatoon. An enthusiastic audience heard violinist Kerry DuWors, cellist Rachel Pomedli, and pianist Erica Tang perform masterworks of the piano trio repertoire, the “Archduke” Trio of Beethoven, and Piano Trio, Op. 8 by Brahms. The ensemble recently released its first CD, ”Trio Colore in Recital,” recorded live in the Lyell Gustin Recital Series in the summer of 2006.

Gustin House acknowledges with gratitude the assistance of the Saskatchewan Arts Board for this and all the recitals of 2008, and the generosity of many individuals whose services and contributions support our programs.

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Music of the late 18th Century, Art of the late 19th Century, October 26, 2008

The opening of the fourth season celebrating music and the arts at Gustin House took place on Sunday evening , October 26. Dennis Lanigan showed and discussed ten works from his personal collection representing the 19th century Pre-Raphaelite movement, which promoted a return to earlier artistic practises of complexity in design, detail, and intensity of colour. Four of Saskatoon’s very fine musicians--Alexandra Diederichsen, Gillian Lyons, Karen Reynaud and Gregory Schulte-- performed Mozart’s Symphony No. 38. K. 504 (“Prague”) as arranged for piano and played in ensemble on two pianos, a Gustin Studio tradition.

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Music for Piano, and Built Heritage, November 30, 2008

The year 2008 saw the designation of the “Dr. Lyell Gustin Residence” as a Provincial Heritage Property. On Sunday, November 30, an audience at Gustin House recalled this milestone when Peter MacKinnon, President of the University of Saskatchewan, spoke about the significance of heritage buildings as a witness and voice of those who have gone this way before us. Built heritage is to be cherished and protected, he said, for it enriches us, generation after generation!

Christine Vanderkooy, pianist on faculty at the University of Regina, gave a wonderful performance of Franz Schubert’s Sonata in A major, D. 959, and Boyd McDonald’s work, An Artist’s Neighbourhood. Dr. Vanderkooy is doubly a Gustin musical descendant, having studied at the Reginald Bedford Studios, Hamilton, and with Boyd McDonald at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo.

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Gustin House, c/o 47 Pony Trail, Riverside Estates, Saskatoon SK S7T1A4, Canada

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