Morley Calvert's Suite from the Monteregian Hills is cherished by brass
players worldwide and performed hundreds of times annually, making
Calvert perhaps the most performed Canadian composer outside the
country. Yet little is known about Calvert beyond that piece. And
Harmony Abound is a thoughtful and in-depth study of a remarkably
accomplished composer, conductor, and educator. Calvert made his living
teaching music, but he was no ordinary high school music teacher. He was
deeply committed to composing and completed some ninety works for brass
ensembles, concert bands, choirs, and orchestras, while engaged in music
making in the communities in which he lived. Keith Kinder traces
Calvert's life story from his birth in Brantford, Ontario, in 1928
through his youth and career in Montreal, his musical involvement with
the Salvation Army, his success with the famous Central Collegiate band
of Barrie, Ontario, his retirement years, and his unexpected passing in
Hamilton, Ontario, in 1991. Uncovering Calvert's oeuvre by analyzing
representative arrangements, Kinder also documents the complete
catalogue of Calvert's works, bringing to light many unpublished
compositions that would otherwise be lost to performers. And Harmony
Abound is a compelling picture of Morley Calvert's contribution to
musical composition, education, and the cultural fabric, preserving a
vital strand of the Canadian musical tapestry.
