Morley Calvert

Calvert, Morley

Morley Calvert. Bandmaster, conductor, composer, b Brantford, Ont, 11 Jun 1928, d Hamilton, Ont, 6 Sep 1991; LRSM 1948, Associate in music (McGill) 1950, B MUS (McGill) 1956. He taught instrumentalists and choirs 1950-72 in Montreal high schools and was director 1954-6 of the Imperial Singers and 1960-70 of the Montreal Citadel Band of the Salvation Army. He also founded and was the director 1960-70 of the McGill University Concert Band and 1967-72 of the Lakeshore Concert Band. In 1958 at Ayers Cliff, Que, he founded the Monteregian Music Camp, which offered summer training for high school students. He remained active in this project until its end in 1970. He was the conductor 1972-85 of the Barrie Central Collegiate Band and in 1979 conducted the Youth Band and Choir of Ontario. He became artistic director of the Civic Concert Choir of Hamilton in 1987 and director of the Weston Silver Band in 1988. Calvert composed and arranged many works for band (some for the Salvation Army) and a few for brass quintet and for choir. His Suite from the Monteregian Hills (1961, Berandol 1962; based on French-Canadian folksongs and named for the eight mountains which range in an arc from Mount Royal to the American border) was commissioned by the Montreal Brass Quintet, which recorded it on the 1984 album Brass Nova (McGill University Records 80012). It has been performed worldwide and has also been recorded by the Eastern Brass Quintet (1972, Concord CR-1001/1978, Klavier KS-561), the Vancouver Brass Quintet (1973, CBC SM-252), the German Brass Quintet (1977, Audite FSM-53-175), the Bowling Green Brass Quintet (1985, unnumbered cass), the Brass Guild (Grenadilla GS-1040), and the US Coast Guard Band (USCG-122678). The Canadian Brass has recorded 'Chanson mélancolique,' a movement from the the suite (Boot BMC-3001). An Occasional Suite, a centennial commission, was premiered at Expo 67 by the Montreal Brass Quintet and published in 1967 by BMIC. Romantic Variations (19765, 1979) was commissioned and privately recorded by the Youth Band of Ontario (1976, Fantasy Sound FS-23315) and by the Arizona State U Band (Crest CA-ABA-84-3). Three Dance Impressions (1978, Berandol 1979) has been recorded by the New West Brass Quintet. A Song for Our Time with words by Doris Pilcher (1979, Thompson 1979) was performed by band and massed choir at the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa in 1984. His Introduction, Elegy and Caprice (R. Smith 1978) was commissioned as the test piece for the first European Brass Band Championships at Royal Albert Hall in London in 1978 and recorded by the Black Dyke Mills Band (Chandos BBR-1004). Canadian Folksong Suite, from 15 Pieces for Salvation Army Brass Bands, was premiered at Royal Albert Hall in 1967 and has been recorded by the Hannaford Street Silver Band (1988, CBC SMCD-5103). Calvert served 1959-61 as president of the QMEA. He was president of the Ontario chapter and national executive vice-president 1981-3 of the CBA.