Mary Janet McCutcheon
–
Class 11B MRHS 1959
| Mary I & II |
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| Abode II |
Park Extension since 1965 |
| Favourite Expression II |
"Has anyone seen my glasses?" |
| Prototype II |
Buzzing through the garden of Life,
pausing at the flowers. |
| Unrecorded History II |
Likely to remain unrecorded; excerpts upon request. |
| Ambition II |
Still searching; freedom 65 promises
further exploration of the concept. |
| Destination II |
Mastered SpeedWriting.
Acquired BA (Mt.A - Eng. Lit & Fine Arts history)
and certificates in Architectural Technology,
Journalism-Adv'g-PR, Management,
Office Systems Technology.
Worked in various offices;
victim of Bills 22, 101 as the Anglo world withered
& wound up in hospital field.
Bought a duplex and became benevolent landlady
to immigrant families & to students. |
| Activities I |
"Torch" correction: Ski Club 1957 only;
later took up cross country with happier results. |
| Activities II |
Founding member of recorder quartet
(perform in residences, schools)
I Conviviali Past president,
Recorder Day organizer (1991-2004)
Société de flûte
à bec de Montréal
Newsletter editor (1988-1996), president (2001-2006)
Montreal Field Naturalists Club
Founding & executive member (1995 to 2001)
Ville St-Laurent Toastmasters Club
Managing editor of local non-profit newspaper
(ea. 70's) Park Extension Community News
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| Miscellaneous |
Local history project (late 70's)
Occasional civic affairs
(currently pressing for a park)
Sing alto in low-octane choirs
& folk dance on occasion.
|
| 2008 |
February: Visited Japan
August: Registrar & Treasurer
for Grant family reunion, Southampton, NB |
The I Conviviali Recorder Quartet
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photo: Mary McCutcheon
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Founding members of the I Conviviali recorder quartet
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The I Conviviali recorder quartet was started in 2001
by four friends who were members of the Montreal Recorder Society
(a branch of the American Recorder Society)
and of CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians),
for the purpose of entertaining shut-ins and school classes,
promoting the recorder as the ideal amateur music instrument,
improving our own playing,
and generally having fun.
P.S. to all instrumentalists.
Buy a decent recorder ("alto" to start with),
a teach-yourself book,
take a few lessons, find a group in your town
and we may be able to form our own MRHS ensemble
to provide the music at the next reunion!
50th Reunion –
How the Music Part of the Show Came to Be
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photo: Mary McCutcheon
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The Gavotte from The Gondoliers
that we played at the reunion
came from this album.
|
One one hand I looked forward to CELEBRATING
our Mount Royal music program at the Golden Reunion,
wondering how Doc Jones' multi-faceted,
high intensity TEACHING had endured.
On the other hand,
picking up the whole darn
Music production/direction torch-full,
AFTER COMMITTEE MEMBER CHANGES, was not anticipated.
Nevertheless, as classmates with music in their souls
climbed aboard, the worries became rainbows (more or less).
I began IN JANUARY '09 by e-mailing
all '59ers interested in the Reunion who had sung or played
(by their Bio's ye shall know them....).
This winnowed out a good dozen who HAD kept on singing,
but I was concerned at
the near 100% drop-out rate among instrumentalists!
"I gave away my clarinet,
I haven't touched the trumpet in 20 years,
my lip is bust, it's a retirement project ...,"
they SEVERAL LAMENTED, adding in the next wheeze,
"but I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of you
& will cheer from my seat..."
This left US WITH someone
A CLASSMATE who took up folk/church fiddle 3 years ago
(way to go Robin!)
and a one-time FORMER glockenspieler
too shy to play his banjo ('til next time, Barry).
This would never do;
I HAD expected at least a handful would have, like yours truly,
discovered that wind instrument for the masses,
the recorder (flûte à bec, flauto dolce ...)
POPULARIZED BY Mario Duschenes
(lived on W. border of TMR; died JAN. 2009)
and THE Trapp Family .
But no. So I asked my quartet buddies
if they would help prepare a short program
of circa 1959 pieces for my Mount Royal High grad class .
THUS they, too, took up the Torch
and the result, I have been informed,
is historified on videocam.
