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C2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday May 2, 2001 Opera diva reminisces with local guild By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Jo a n H a ll was th e C anadian Opera C om pany's fir st prostitute. The opera singer appeared as Maddalena, the prostitute in Rigoletto , in the inaugural season of the COC. Now, 51 years later, she will be appearing at the Oakville Guild, COC, meeting with George Crum, who was chorus master and assistant conductor in that first year of the opera company and later became the conductor of the N ational Ballet Company. He has many stories to tell about Nureyev and Baryshnikov, says Hall. Hall, a new Oakville resident, says she's enjoying her new home, getting acclimatized and joining the Opera Guild, after 44 years in Richmond Hill. But it's her days with the COC that the 72-year-old has fond memories of and, if asked the right questions, she just might share a few of those memo ries with guests at the guild gathering on Tuesday, May 8, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at Ennisclare, 2185 Marine Dr. "We're showing a 35-minute movie from 1949, and it gives the history of the beginnings of the Canadian Opera Company, which w asn't called the Canadian Opera Company," says Hall, adding that she is in the movie - for about four seconds. "Glenn Gould is in it for about two seconds...A ll the (COC) teachers and the conductors are in this little movie." The Winnipeg native says she has been entertaining since her teen years, performing for the troops during the war, sometimes in -40° weather with a founder of the COC back in the '50s. "Different ones would go in and he'd just pound the piano. They aren't kind in this profession," she says, explaining that she, aged 20 at the time, went in front of Goldschmidt shaking from nervous fright. "I started, and he banged the piano. I thought, `Oh, my God.' But he said, `Thank God, I finally found an operat ic mezzo.'" And the rest, as they say, is history. Mezzo-sopranos, says Hall, have to be good actors. They either play colourful characters like Carmen or M addalena or they tackle the roles of old women or young boys. "T hat's why m ezzos hate lyric sopranos, because all they do is walk on stage, look angelic and sing; where as a mezzo, you've got to learn to act," she says with a laugh. She also learned to teach and has taught many a successful singer, including one of the top 20 finalists in the recent Popstars television competi tion. "It was Dayna H erm an...I was proud of her," he says. "That's a mar velous program." Hall has not accepted any new voice students in Oakville, mainly because she is now living in a condo minium. "I could have as many pupils as I want. But I don't want. I'm past that stage," she says, adding that she has retained some of her Richmond 'Hill students. Those interested in hearing more about her career or that of George Crum, are invited to attend the Oakville O pera G uild meeting on Tuesday. Music blends two cultures I Pavlo, a composer, musician, guitarist and recording artist, has written and recorded several songs that are characterized by a fusion of the mystical sounds of eastern Europe with the rhythmi cally complex music o f the Western world. These songs can be heard on his first CD, Pavlo, as well as at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. Influences of flamenco, Latin, classical and Mediterranean gui tar, mixed with the Greek bouzouki, create an eclectic melange o f music for listeners. Pavlo marketed and distrib uted his first album through a combination of in-store appear ances (more than 100) at tradi tional retail outlets in the first year of the record's release, as well as at street festivals across Canada. His second album, Fantasia has been receiving critical acclaim and, through Song Corp., is available at retail record outlets across Canada. In the short time that Fantasia has been released, it has sold more than 40,000 CDs and received a Juno nomination for Best Instrumental Album. Tickets for his Oakville con cert are $24.99 and are available by visiting or calling the Oakville Centre box office at 130 Navy St., 815-2021. Photo by Erin Riley Joan Hall, a former opera diva, will be talking to the Oakville Guild, Canadian Opera Company, on Tuesday, along with George Crum, former COC chorus master and assistant conductor. long dress worn over her long under wear. "You'd be up in front of four to five thousand people...It was a marvelous way to get experience. And I had a good voice - Judy Garland like...I was very talented," she says, matterof-factly. In fact, she adds, she recalls her audition with Nicholas G oldschm idt, conductor and co . 1 , Dining I Entertainment Fully Licensed · Elegant decor with fine dining atmosphere · Large Lunch & Dinner Buffets · Reasonably priced · Wide selection of vegetarian & non-vegetarian food Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 11:30am-10pm FINEDININGAT FAST FOOD PRICES m a & (S in ce 1973) Oakville's Bi-Weekly D ining & E n tertain m en t Spotlight Make it a Mother's Day to remember at Philthy's B y K y m Fu n ne ll With M other's Day just around the corner, now is the time to make plans. Why not treat your mother to a Philthy M cN asty's fam ily-style celebration, and give her the day off from cooking. Tempt her with a choice of entrees (12oz. 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Call today for reservations for their M other's Day celebra tion in O akville, 905-844-9703. Daily Breakfast Special 2 eggs bacon, ham or sausage toast & potatoes o n /y $ /^ 5 0 y /\ Open fo r Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner Hopedale Mall · 827-4851 ---------------- Eat In or Take out338-0889 Enjoy Dinner & Dancing in an exquisite atmosphere and experience our Classic Italian Cuisine! Easy Listening 579 Kerr Street, Oakville TOWNE RESTAURANT & D ining Lounge Continental Cuisine Keyboard featuring M a r g O j Friday, May 251 We specialize in Prime Bib, Seafood & Steaks Open for breakfast, lunch < 6 -dinner Monday Saturday 6:30 a.m. - 9.-00 p.m. - ^ t'i It BanquetAVedding facilities for up to 200 people Your hosts Peter & Mike Open daily for lunch &dinner. 467 Speers Road, Oakville 842-0475 Restaurant & 'Lounge Ltd. 407 Speers Rd., #4, Oakville 815-9689 M A xtve This MOTHER'S DAY, treat your mom to something she'll really en(oy... Rl/DE FOOP! Featuring a selection o f mouth watering specials and decadent desserts! Reserve now for Sunday M ay 1 3 1 Two Oakville Locations! : Lakeshore R4. E. 905-844-3 Day| Celebration* S a tu rd a y M a y 1 2 , 5 to I O p m a n d S u n d a y M a y 13 Htw s Hit time ti mite pltns ti ct/eirttt M 01H CR-.S MX with PHIIW' S MCHASnS! M th it i Motto s Bey to rtmemtxr hr \ ^ ° ______________ y»vr cDiUrta.' look TO W , KIDS MOTHER'S DAY MENU (kids Mother's Day packages are all served w ith choice o f pop. ju ic e or m ilk and kids dessert) PARENT FOOD (includes... a choice a side Caesar Salad or Soup de Jour per person, coffee or tea and as a special treat, an Mother's Day Mud Pie) STEAK » FRIES A choice 602. striploin cooked to order and served with our steak-cut fries. AA q c 12oz. NY SIRLOIN KIDS PLATTER A tantalizing assortm ent o f chicken fingers, chicken w ings and fam ous pagos served with fries $21.95 CHICKEN & RIB COMBO $21.95 CHICKEN & SHRIMP PASTA 119Jones St 905-^65-0571 2ix of our large, tasty chicken wings with mild BBQ sauce and a big Bowl of french fries £5 g j^ KIDS WING DING $21.95 _________ 210 North Service Rd. West, Oakville Town Centre II, OAKVILLE _______________ 905-844-8703 »