(Part 4) Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert Celebrating Leonard Cohen, May 14/12 - My Photos and Memories

(Clockwise) Adam Cohen & Serena Ryder - James McMurtry - Anjani Thomas - Jimmie Dale Gilmore -
Cowboy Junkies & John Prine - Neil Larsen

.

July 4, 2012

(Part 4) Musical Performers

Following Leonard Cohen's acceptance speech, the Celebration Concert began with a mix of speakers and musical performers.

AEG Goldenvoice produced the concert and delighted us with many outstanding performers, including musical legends John Prine, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and James McMurtry. (Stage List here)

.
Anjani Thomas with Neil Larsen on keyboards - "Crazy To Love You"
I was so impressed with the unique blending of artistry of Anjani and Neil, that I kept the wide lens on all through the video. Together they were indeed a dreamy duo. Anjani looked gorgeous and her singing was outstanding. Observe how Neil constantly watches her to synch with her. The musicality of his keyboard was equal to the musicality of her voice. This was a very special cover.

Anjani Thomas with Neil Larsen

Crazy To Love You (clip)

Adam Cohen - "So Long, Marianne" with spoken tribute to his father
Adam closed the concert with a high spirited crowd singalong of So Long, Marianne. Some of the other performers came back on stage to join in the singalong making it very festive.

It was very moving when Adam added some words of tribute to his father.

I welled up when my father was speaking ... Thank you for the music... Thank you dad...I’m so honoured to be part of this honour ... I have the fondest and deepest and deepening esteem for both the man and the work...

Adam Cohen

So Long, Marianne

James McMurtry
Closing Time

Cowboy Junkies & John Prine

One of Us Can Not Be Wrong (clip)

Adam Cohen & Serena Ryder

Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

Jimmie Dale Gilmore with Neil Larsen on piano

Intro by Host, Colm Feore
Tower Of Song  (Audio only)

In his remarks, Host Colm Feore gave extra special credit to Robert Kory, Leonard Cohen's manager, Elliott Lefko of AEG Goldenvoice and to Leonard himself for making the evening happen.

----------------------------

• All photos are screenshots from my videos except the photo of Jimmie Dale Gilmore which is from ZNews video clip here.

(Part 3) Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert Celebrating Leonard Cohen, May 14/12 - My Photos and Memories

Concert Gala Host, Colm Feore

June 24, 2012

(Part 3) Speakers

The celebration concert at Massey Hall in Toronto was a mix of speakers and musical performers.  Unfortunately, the podiums for the speakers were placed at the extreme sides of the stage which made it difficult to see the speakers, including Leonard Cohen delivering his acceptance speech.

After the intermission,, Host Colm Feore apologized for the placement of the podiums and announced that a screen would be used for the speakers in the second half.  He then joked, that the first half would be repeated at midnight.  Hey, I would have gone if only to "see" Leonard Cohen deliver his acceptance speech again.

Adrienne Clarkson
When Adrienne Clarkson spoke during the first half of the concert, she was quite far away at the opposite side of the stage and we did not have the benefit of a screen. This ordinarily would have been a challenge to attempt taking some video. But as I had been cautioned earlier by an usher after capturing a video of Leonard Cohen's acceptance speech, I just snapped a quick photo and cropped it (below).

(From Adrienne Clarkson's speech)

During your last tour, I went to nine concerts in four different countries. There is another tour coming up and I'm going to top it...

I know someone recently said to you, are you going to keep doing this...the touring...the singing

And you replied, "What else am I going to do" 

In some peoples mouths that might sound like a finality

But in yours it is a fulfillment of a promise

It is what we want you to do for us

That resonated with Leonard Cohen's acceptance speech at the Special Grammys (Jan/09) reciting from his Tower Of Song, when he varied the line with 27 angels... to:

"20,000 angels from the great beyond, they tied me to this table right here in the Tower of Song".

MaryA/Mollydog pointed out at that time, there were 20,000 members of the Leonard Cohen Forum .


Alan Rickman
Listening to Alan Rickman speak was on the wish list of many members of the Leonard Cohen Forum.

I was able to capture only one short segment of his presentation, his story about attending the Book of Longing Q&A with Philip Glass & Leonard Cohen in London.  He spoke after the intermission, so I was able to point my camera at the screen. (see also my previous post about the same incident here). 

For those not able to access Vimeo, try this link

Colm Feore
As concert gala host, Colm Feore, who is an award winning stage actor, closed the evening with an adept recitation of Leonard Cohen's poem "Gift".

The video ends abruptly because we all rose to give Leonard Cohen a final standing ovation.

“GIFT"

You tell me that silence
is nearer to peace than poems
but if for my gift
I brought you silence
(for I know silence)
you would say
"This is not silence
this is another poem"
and you would hand it back to me

------------------------
The Right Honourable Adrienne Louise Clarkson was the 26h Governor General of Canada

Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert Celebrating Leonard Cohen, May 14/12 - My Photos and Memories (Part 2)

Gala Concert program booklet - front and back cover

.

May 26, 2012

(Part 2) Celebrating Leonard Cohen Gala Program Booklet - Selected Pages

(Inside front cover)
The BAY, one of the major gala sponsors, is Canada's last remaining department store chain
 It is part of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), North America's oldest company.

 Table Of Contents (p.1)

Congratulations from another significant sponsor,"Your Sony Music Canada Family" (p.12)
Sony worked in a nice promotion for the "Old Ideas" album

The "stapled" middle pages (p.26 & 27)
I love this photo of Leonard Cohen performing a song with just his guitar.
I was reminded how thrilled I was in Gothenburg 2010, when for my first time I saw him singing live,
A Singer Must Die.

Stage List (p.33)

With Neil Larsen on Piano for Jimmie Dale Gilmore and on Keyboards for Anjani

Musical Director - Neil Larsen

------------------------

-Back cover page above greeting by a major sponsor: Power Corporation of Canada is proud to present the Ninth Glenn Gould Prize

-The Platinum supporters (25K+) of this Glenn Gould Prize Gala were:  Power Corp, Hudson's Bay Co, Gov't of Ontario and Galin Foundation

-My Gothenburg 2010 concert video: A Singer Must Die

 

Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert Celebrating Leonard Cohen, May 14/12 - My Photos and Memories (Part 1)

That's me in Toronto at Massey Hall on the aisle, with my "saucer size I love Leonard Cohen button"

May 25, 2012

(Part 1) Getty ready to go and before the gala concert

 

While waiting for Gala tickets to go on sale to the public, I ensured my Canadian passport was in order and prepared my "I Love Leonard Cohen" button which is only 4".  Saucer size is a bit of a tweeter's exaggeration, don't you think?

On the sale date, I purchased a ticket at 10:01 am on the phone with Massey Hall.  When they entered my name, they informed me I already had an account there. The address was my former home in Toronto.

I spent my early cultural life in Massey Hall, especially when it was the home of The Toronto Symphony before newer and larger theatres were built. My last time there was to see the Buena Vista Social Club.  That was a great show.

I arrived early evening on Sunday from Los Angeles, the day before the Gala, and the downtown streets were quiet. Before I checked into the hotel, I wanted to take some photos of the billboard while the light was still good. I thought the Leonard Cohen event deserved more prominence than I saw.

Ah, but the next morning....

...This is what I saw around 7am from the window of my hotel room.  I ran down to take a photo while the glass door was off. I told this gentleman that Leonard Cohen's name should take up the whole billboard. He laughed.

Starting early in the morning, I watched the trucks arriving and offloading equipment, including one truck with camera equipment.

That piqued my interest.

I had a chat with the head guy receiving these wheeled crates and learned that they were doing a video of the concert, but he didn't  know who was doing it or anything else.  (I later learned it was Goldenvoice/AEG.)

Well, it was reassuring to many of us that there will be a video of the concert gala honouring Leonard Cohen.  We will have to be patient (not one of my strong suits) until it is available.

There were also three screens in this load, but he was not sure how they will be used.  (More about one screen in Part 3 - the Gala Concert)

This stretch vehicle, with what looked like a Ford truck front, was parked outside the theatre about 8:15pm.  I waited for a while to see who would come out then decided to enter the theatre. I never did find out who was in it.

-----------------------------

• Audience photo at the top from torontist
• Photo caption quote from twitter by Leesa Butler: "‏Packed house for Leonard. "I love the lady w/a saucer size I Heart Leonard Cohen button"

Two Sistema Protege Students Pay Tribute To Leonard Cohen at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala May 14/12

Sistema students, age 6 and 11, pay tribute to Leonard Cohen

May 16, 2012 

The protege award went to Sistema Toronto, a program that offers free, intensive music education to children from culturally diverse and typically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The children of Sistema had prepared a video for Mr. Cohen which was shown during the gala - the video showed a group of the Sistema children singing Hallelujah to him. (Paula,"Sochijava" on the leonard cohen forum]

Following the short video, two Sistema students, ages 6 and 11, were introduced and (although not audible), I suppose thanked Mr Cohen for the Protege Award.

I remember feeling how considerate of Leonard to bow so low to make a connection with both of the children.

Along with Paula, I had tears in my eyes

----------------------------

Massey Hall, Toronto

Adrienne Clarkson Spoke About Leonard Cohen At The Glenn Gould Prize Gala on May 14/12

Adrienne Clarkson, Massey Hall, Toronto

 May 15, 2012

Former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson was just one speaker to compare Cohen to Gould, the eccentric piano virtuoso who inspired the biennial award, given for unique lifetime contribution to the arts.

“I think it is wonderfully fitting that the prize in his name goes to Leonard Cohen,” Clarkson said.

(from: Global News)

Leonard Cohen Speaks At Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert on May 14, 2012

May 15, 2012

Massey Hall, Toronto

Arrived Toronto for "Leonard Cohen The Glenn Gould Prize"

May 13, 2012

Massey Hall front left billboard

Local Toronto media are reporting  that James McMurtry is flying up from Texas just to sing one of his favourite Leonard Cohen songs, "Closing Time"

toronto.com: "James McMurtry: Leonard Cohen as an inspiration and a romantic aid" here

Artists Take Leonard Cohen's Music to the Streets of Toronto In Tribute To His Glenn Gould Prize

May 11, 2012

The "Torontoist" posted a great article with some excellent photos of the artists performing Leonard Cohen's music and words on the streets of Toronto.  The photo above has a nice shot of the banner displayed to identify the happening. Leonard Cohen's Unified Heart motif is quite prominent.

There are more photos of street performances included in the "Torontoist" article by Brendan Ross with photos by Dean Bradley here

(In part)

From his books of poetry and fiction, to his role in the 1960s folk-music scene, to his decades of haunting and iconic songs, Leonard Cohen is undoubtedly one of Canada’s most prolific and beloved artists. This weekend, to celebrate the singer/songwriter winning the Glenn Gould Prize, more than 30 musicians are taking Cohen’s music to the streets of Toronto.

The impromptu concerts coincide with a week of events that culminates on Monday with a gala concert celebrating Cohen. Cohen is the ninth laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize, an international award established in 1987 to recognize people who have made a lifelong contribution to the arts.

This is the first time the Glenn Gould Foundation, the organization that administers the prize, is putting on such a large-scale public performance. The foundation’s executive director, Brian Levine, says the decision came out of the popularity of Cohen’s music and the desire to put young Canadian artists in the spotlight. “Given that there’s such a widespread love for Leonard and his work, this provided a forum to not only express that across the community…but also as a way of helping to bring to light some really wonderful young talent

---------------------------

Street Tribute banner from the Glenn Gould Foundation website..

The photo above was actually taken at the southwest corner of University Avenue and Bloor Street West, facing north.

Trivia: North of Bloor, where the church is situated at the northeast corner, University changes name to Avenue Road. I was once asked by a young lad visiting Toronto, why didn't they just name it "Street Street".  I can see his point.

Call For Volunteers-Leonard Cohen Free Events in Toronto

 

May 2, 2012

Glenn Gould Ninth Prize Volunteer Opportunities

Victoria Buchy, Director of Operations, The Glenn Gould Foundation sent an email today asking for help to publicize the need for volunteers at the Leonard Cohen free events.

A description and requirements of volunteer participation are here: http://glenngould.ca/ninth-prize-volunteer

1) Site Captains for Street Tribute: The Glenn Gould Prize Salutes Leonard Cohen

APPLY BY 5PM MONDAY, MAY 7

2) Leonard Cohen Art Exhibition Ambassadors
 

APPLY BY THURS MAY 3 BY 5PM

---------------------------

"Toronto celebrates the artistry of Leonard Cohen with free events starting May 7" click here

 

Hey! Lookee Me. "Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook" Won A Liebster Blog Award

March 17, 2012

Today, I was granted this award thanks to Dr Allan Showalter aka Dr HGuy, supreme webmeister of the Liebster Blog Award winning and Cohencentric Heck Of Guy and sister website, DrHGuy.

My Liebster Award requires bestowing five other blogs with this award.

My five blog award winners are:

 

1.  Jian Ghomeshi's CBC Q Blog  here 

Q is an energetic daily arts, culture and entertainment magazine that takes you on a smart and surprising ride, interviewing personalities and tackling the cultural issues that matter.Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, with his trademark wit and spontaneity, Q covers pop culture and high arts alike with forays into the most provocative and compelling cultural trends

 2.  Stephen Fry blog  here

The New Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry.

3.  Dean Engelhardt aka Dean (from Adelaide)  "lc down under 2010" here 

A Time Capsule of Leonard Cohen's 2010 Tour of Australia and New Zealand

4.  NEeMA, Watching You Think  here  

"i'm a writer, singer, searcher and traveler. i draw, take photos, dance and make videos. i give creativity workshops. i lived and worked for years with the Tlicho People in Northern Canada."

 5.  Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond)  here 

"I'm a desperate housewife.I live in the country. I channel Lucille Ball, Vivien Leigh, and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier!"

What is this Liebster Blog Award all about, you might ask? 

I cannot describe it any better than the outstanding wordsmith Dr HGuy himself.  So, here are extracts from his blog.

While the origins of the Liebster Blog Award are obscure, the rules associated with it are well codified:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
3. Copy & paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Reveal your 5 blog picks.
5. Let them know you chose them by posting on their blog...

The math suggests that

1. The Award is of recent origin. If each winner required a month to re-reward the Liebster, after one year more than 89762301673555230720 blogs would be flashing the Liebster prize.
2. This is a virtuous variation on the chain letter/Ponzi scheme paradigm with links and good feelings rather than cash being shared.

I had never heard of it either. But I am darn proud to be an award winner. Thank you, Allan.

My Favourte Memories of Leonard Cohen Receiving a PEN NE Award on Feb 26/12

Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Keith Richards and Chuck Berry prior to the PEN New England Awards for Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence in the President’s Room.

(Rick Friedman/Kennedy Library Foundation)— at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

February 29, 2012

It seems all the fun and good times at the PEN NE awards took place before the lacklustre awards ceremony itself.  

The major players gathered beforehand in a private room and had a grand time evident by all the super photos of laughing faces that have since been published.

As soon as I saw the photo above, I smiled and said, that's my favourite. That's the photo I want in my Leonard Cohen Scrapbook. 

Thank you to Goldin, aka Roman Gavrilin (currentcohen) for posting the link to the series of photos on the leonardcohenforum  

Being disappointed with the actual awards ceremony on live (out of synch) webcam, I was pleased when shortly thereafter Albert Noonan (IrishAl) uploaded a video with just the segment of Leonard Cohen receiving his award.  Watching that video, made me a lot happier. Leonard Cohen was such a class act, the best part of the ceremony. Thank you, Albert. 

The quality is not great. I was watching it live and just had the urge to record it on my iPhone from my laptop screen. I have also managed to get the speech to be somewhat closer to being in sync

I Love Leonard Cohen, Dazzling Smile Cross-legged On The Floor Surrounded By Young Choristers In Gijon

LNE.es "Prince of Asturias Awards 2011 Tribute to Leonard Cohen", Angel Gonzalez

October 22, 2011

This is my favourite photo of Leonard Cohen from all the Prince of Asturias Award 2011 events.

Thanks to Beatriz Salles on the leonardcohenforum for posting the link with many gorgeous photos taken at the tribute concert at Teatro Jovellanos Gijon earlier this week.

Below is a longer shot of the same scene.  Sigh...

Jovellanos Theatre, Gijon, Angel Gonzalez

-------------------

Wednesday, October 19, 2011: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen at the Jovellanos Theatre (Gijón). With the participation of the Spanish guitarist Javier Mas and the Webb Sisters, who accompany Cohen on tour, the Spanish singer-songwriter Nacho Vegas, the flamenco singer Duquende, the Irish singer and guitarist Glen Hansard and the Prince of Asturias Foundation Youth Choir. Also featuring Andrés Amorós and Laura García Lorca. (Prince of Asturias Foundation website)

Bravo Leonard Cohen, Always a Classy Gentleman

Pipe Band of Oviedo City -screenshot, Prince of Asturias Foundation official video

October 21, 2011

From: Emol's report of The Prince of Asturias Award ceremony (here)

Cuando la banda de gaitas Ciudad de Oviedo ponía el broche final a la ceremonia con su tradicional interpretación del himno de Asturias, uno de los premiados rubricaba la última nota con un discreto "¡bravo!": era Leonard Cohen.

When the pipe band Oviedo City put the finishing touch to the ceremony with the traditional interpretation of the anthem of Asturias, one of the winners last initial the note with a quiet "bravo!" Was Leonard Cohen.

----------

Google translation

Leonard Cohen With "Inseparable Sombrero" Arrives At the Prince of Asturias Awards Ceremony, October 21, 2011

October 21, 2011

Leonard Cohen arrived at the Campoamor...greeted the audience with his inseparable hat ... (diario de aviso)

I started watching the live television feed from Spain about a half hour before the designated ceremony start time. I wanted to catch the arrival of the laureates and see them walk down the Blue Carpet.

I was tickled to hear "Leonard Cohen" and "sombrero" mentioned together often during the next few hours.

I do not know Spanish, but I am familiar with the word sombrero. Living in North America. I associate sombrero with a unique style of hat connected to Mexico.  Well in Spain, sombrero is just...hat.
 
I wanted to collect some of the quotes to paste here, by searching for "Leonard Cohen" and sombrero.  I had many hits which made me chuckle. Some were headlines and some were within a report.

Here are just a few:

Cohen se quita el sombrero ante los gaiteros asturianos

Cohen takes off his hat to the Asturian bagpipes  (El Mundo headline)

~

El sombrero de Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen's hat   (Que headline) 

~

Leonard Cohen, sombrero en la silla, ha elegido una historia personal que ha improvisado sin papeles: una narración de gratitud hacia un profesor desconocido, un joven guitarrista español que, a comienzos de los 60, le dio unas clases de guitarra en Montreal.

Leonard Cohen, hat on the chair, has chosen a personal story that has improvised without papers: a story of gratitude to an unknown teacher, a young Spanish guitarist who in the early 60's, gave him some guitar lessons in Montreal. (as. com)

~

Pero ha sido Leonard Cohen quien ha cautivado al público, con su voz profunda y pausada, cuando se ha despojado por una vez de su inseparable sombrero negro para acercarse al micrófono -"no estoy acostumbrado sin una orquesta detrás"- y revelar una anécdota de principios de los años sesenta que marcó toda su carrera y le vinculó a España para siempre.

But it was Leonard Cohen who has captivated audiences with his deep voice and slow, when it has once again stripped of his black hat inseparable to approach the microphone - "I'm not used without a band behind" - and reveal a story of the early sixties that marked his entire career and forever linked to Spain (emol. com)

~

Two comments posted on the Leonard Cohen Forum that made me smile

From today I love the word "sombrero". It's much cooler than "hat", or German "Hut", or Russian shlyapa

(Goldin/Roman)

From today: It was the sombrero, after all

(Majmunka/Eva)

* * *

Oct 22, 2011 update: The official video with the arrival of all the laureates is now available. click here

---------------------

Google translation used for all Spanish quotes

Leonard Cohen Thanks Canada For Embracing His Immigrant Ancestors

August 13, 2011

August 13 was the date of my parents wedding anniversary ז״ל

These past few days, I have been reminiscing about my parents and their immigrant life in Canada (father from Russia, mother from Poland).  My thoughts reminded me about  Leonard Cohen's gracious thank you to Canada at a gala a few days before he received his special Lifetime Achievement Grammy in January, 2010.  I was so moved by his sentiments, I posted an extract from an article on my personal blog, Arlene Now (which  pre-dates this Leonard Cohen Scrapbook.). The post title is mine, "A Real Mensch." Here is that post.

*    *    *    *

From an article by Darryl Sterdan, Sunmedia on Jan 29, 2010

A Real Mensch

The Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles threw its annual Grammy bash to celebrate and showcase this year’s nominees from north of the 49th parallel.  Leonard Cohen will be honoured on Saturday with a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy, which puts on the Grammys.

The 75-year-old Cohen, clad in his ever-present dark suit and fedora, made a brief appearance to say he was “deeply grateful” for his accolade.

“My great grandfather, Lazarus Cohen, came to Canada in 1869, to the county of Glengarry, a little town in Maberly,” the folk-rock icon said. “On this occasion, because of the great hospitality that was accorded my ancestor who came here over 140 years ago, I want to thank this country, Canada, for allowing us to live and work and flourish in a place that was different from all other places in the world. So I thank Canada for the opportunity that was given me to work and play and flourish.”

--------------------------------------------------
I referred to the distinctive lectern in the screen shot above in,  My Leonard Cohen Button Goes Everywhere

Leonard Cohen wins Glenn Gould Prize - Los Angeles Times takes note

Many publications just reprint and credit a newswire press release. But the prestigious LA Times decided this was a newsworthy award and actually assigned a writer.  Thrilling.

Leonard Cohen wins Ninth Glenn Gould Prize

By David Ng • Los Angeles Times
Saturday, April 2, 2011 

Leonard Cohen — the eclectic artist-musician whose output spans rock, classical and new music — has won the ninth Glenn Gould Prize. The prestigious award, handed out once every few years, honors individuals for lifetime contribution in the arts.

The prize, named after the late Canadian piano virtuoso, comes with a cash award of 50,000 Canadian dollars ($51,845 American) as well as the opportunity to name a young artist as a "prize protege," who will receive an award of 15,000 Canadian dollars. Past winners include conductors Andre Previn and Pierre Boulez, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and jazz artist Oscar Peterson.

Cohen said in a statement that the award is "a great honor, sweetened by my love of the work of Glenn Gould, and our collective appreciation of his invigorating and enduring presence in the world of Music and Imagination."

This year's prize jury included filmmaker Atom Egoyan, actor Stephen Fry, pianist Gary Graffman, recording executive Costa Pilavachi, producer Phoebe Greenberg, singer Elaine Overholt and the Chinese artist known as Dadawa. The jury was headed by Paul Hoffert.

The previous winner of the Glenn Gould Prize in 2008 was Jose Antonio Abreu, the founder of Venezuela's El Sistema music-education program. He chose as his protege for the prize conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who at the time had not yet begun his tenure as the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Other past winners include conductor Andre Previn in 2005; conductor Pierre Boulez in 2002; cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1999; composer Toru Takemitsu in 1996; jazz artist Oscar Peterson in 1993; violinist Yehudi Menuhin in 1990; and composer R. Murray Schafer in 1987.

Leonard Cohen's Acceptance Speech-Special Grammys

January 30, 2010
Video captured off my laptop screen - live streaming by the Grammys