“Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It’s conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfill what they feel the moment requires.”
Wynton Marsalis
Apply here to be part of Jazz Appreciation Month
April 2023 Open to all members
With the launch of its second season, Sounds of
Peace, Music on Union is echoing poet Kahlil
Gibran—”Music… opens the secret of life bringing
peace’.
At 12:10p.m. on August 12, 2022, long-time
crowd-pleaser, vocalist Ralph Kuster,
accompanied by pianist Tim Hallman, kicks off
the season of eight, weekly, 40-minute concerts
at St. James Anglican Church, 10 Union Street.
“Last year our series, Sounds of Hope, looked to
our emergence from the bleakness of COVID.
Now war and social conflicts are hitting our
headlines, so our goal this year is to help bring
peace into the hearts, souls and daily living of
our audiences,” said Michael Capon, Music
Director at St. James’ Anglican Church.
In addition to harnessing the power of music for
peace, the organizers are also intent on
honouring Jesus’maxim that “the labourer is
worthy of his hire”.
“It’s great that there are now more and more
opportunities for musicians to perform,”
commented Sue Moore, Secretary-Treasurer of
the Union of Professional Musicians AFM Local
518 (serving eastern Ontario).
Capon and Moore were happy to be able to
include vocal and wind performances in their
eclectic 2022 line-up.
The first four concerts feature: Kuster’s
extensive repertoire of Broadway hits, country
music and crooner classics; jazz, baroque and
contemporary clarinet pieces played by Carina
Canonico and David Gazaille; the Bach to the
Beatles repertoire of clarinet and cello trio Two
Thirds Down Under; and the jazzy tones of
singer Chantal Thompson. Thompson affirms
the power of music to be a medium for peace.
“Music is a spiritual consciousness that brings
us together”, she said, “and I’m thrilled to be
offering a gift of meditation for the listeners in a
venue redolent with such beauty and history.”
Subsequent concerts showcase: Amber &
Zebulun on cello and guitar performing the likes
of Mancini, Bacharach and Cohen; traditional
Iranian and contemporary pieces from santurist
Sadaf Amini; and songs and dances for four
hands performed by piano duo Peletsis-
Dardykina.
“The final concert falls on Orange Shirt Day,”
noted Capon, “and it is exciting that Lynn Brant,
a Mohawk who sits with the Bear Clan, has
agreed to perform some of her original
compositions to close out our Sounds of Peace
series.”
Moore and Capon hope to repeat the success of
the 2021 season. “We had lots of positive
feedback from last year’s performers and
audiences about the heightened acoustics and
aesthetics of St. James,” said Moore. “With this
venue and a strong program for the 2022
season we expect capacity audiences again this
year.”
The series also aims to promote
the wellness benefits of music for the nearby
hospital and university communities.
Media contact:
Sue Moore
kingstonmusicians@gmail.com
613-484-3554
The Kingston Musicians’ Union in its December and January general meetings adopted a new name for the Local. This has been long overdue and it is hoped that the name will serve our community of musicians far more appropriately.
“Our Local is more than our Kingston base. Our jurisdiction reaches far beyond Dorset in Haliburton county and extends to Gananoque in the thousand Islands just east of Kingston, many of our members live in areas other than Kingston and the reference to the city makes no sense to them.” -Mark Wilkins president
A survey was distributed throughout the local in 2021 for suggestions and a short list drawn up. The new name adopted is:
Friday August 6th, Kingston Musicians Union co-hosted with St James Anglican Church, Kingston’s first live concert. This concert series has been made possible by the sponsorship from the Music Performance Trust Fund. The idea for the concert series has been in the works since July 2020 when the Local was looking for venues to host the streamed concerts that they initialized and were fully funded by MPTF, however the church was unavailable for use so streaming was exclusively performed at the Royal Theatre in Gananque.
This current series, doors opened to the public for a noon hour concert that featured Spencer Evans and his son Oscar. Stringent Covid 19 protocols were in place to ensure that both the audience and performers had a safe place to enjoy this live concert and with limited seating the Local provided a polished stream of the performance. The series continues for the next seven weeks with a variety of performances from Jazz, Classical, and concept art forms. Tickets are available from Eventbrite stjameskingston.ca/tickets
Kingston Musicians’ Union, the Music Performance Trust Fund and St Jam
es Anglican Church present “Music on Union- Sounds of Hope” a series of free live indoor concerts every Friday from August 6th through 24 September at St James’ Church, 10 Union St in Kingston. A live audience of up to 50 people can be accommodated, with appropriate physical distancing. To reserve a seat visit stjameskingston.ca/concerts, or call 613-548-7254. The concert will also be live streamed via stjameskingston.ca/concerts. 
Music on Union Poster 1
August 6th 12;10-12;50 pm: Spencer and Oscar Evans will perform pieces from the Great American Songbook, through classic Jazz standards by Duke Ellington and Horace Silver, to original compositions by Spencer. These original works will be featured on Spencer’s upcoming debut self-titled release (currently available on Spotify and iTunes).
Members are invited to attend a zoom meeting to discuss the General business of Local 518 Kingston Musicians union
Date: Sunday 11th April 2021
Time: TBD
Place: Zoom meeting as per COVID 19 guidelines
Please check your email in boxes for the newsletter which will contain the details of this meeting and zoom invitation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced more flexible rules for claiming the Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) in response to critics who pointed out the initial rules excluded too many people, including those working reduced hours.
Seasonal workers and those who have recently run out of employment insurance will now also be eligible for CERB. People who make less than $1,000 a month due to reduced work hours will also qualify.
Listen to a recent testimony before the Parliament Standing Committee on Finances – Friday April 3rd Our thanks to Luc Fortin for his outstanding effort.
Musicians wanted for a reception at the Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre.
When: December 7th, 2019
Time: 4:30 – 5:00 pm
Style of music: Light Classical, easy listening,
Description: An end of year social event at the Isabel. The Octane Medical Group has requested a small ensemble of 2-5 players to provide background music for their end of year reception. The musicians will be playing at the beginning of the evening as guests arrive. The style of music that has been asked for is a selection of light classical music or easy listening that reflects the ambiance of the evening. For more information and contract details please contact the office.
Come out and support your local unions!