Arts on 817 prepares for final concert in series

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

When Chris Morrison auditioned for the University of Alberta many years ago, he was told the competition was fierce, that he would be up against hopefuls who’d been playing for at least 10 years. He was advised not to try out when he had only had steady trumpet lessons for one year.
Fortunately for Strathmore, Morrison didn’t listen to the advice. He ended up attending the university, then later received his Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Toronto. He landed a job with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra before branching off and co-creating the Foothills Brass with his wife Rosalee in 1980.
The Foothills Brass quintet will be performing in the final concert for Strathmore’s Arts on 817 concert series next week.
“When you’re studying music they often put you into smaller groups as a training thing and I found that was fun, and when I got a job in a symphony orchestra part of what I wanted to do was create a strong brass quintet within that orchestra,” said Morrison. “
“We always love to play for a new audience and support a new concert series. It’s just great that they’re doing that there and we just want to make sure that everybody has a good time so they’ll come back.”
Morrison was born in Trail, B.C., and a dozen or so years later, moved with his family to the Northwest Territories. By then, he’d had a few music lessons and a year of band under his belt. But in the Territories, one of only two students in Grade 8, music opportunities were scarce.
Yet Morrison was always surrounded by music. His father sang in choirs, his mother played piano and his musically skilled brother became his role model. Then, as a Grade 9 student, his parents enrolled him in the Okanagan Summer School of the Arts that sparked the fire once again.
Since the creation of Foothills Brass, the quintet has attracted musicians from all over Canada, and has a total of 28 members on its roster – although only nine are currently active. While the band always performs with five members, other members are able to jump in when needed.
Morrison reminisced that 15 years ago the band would take part in 200 concerts a year across Canada, the United States, England and Jerusalem. While that number has declined since then, the Foothills Brass will be making their way to Strathmore next week to perform their salute to spring with the concert Strawberry Fields, which features Chris Morrison on trumpet, Rosalee Morrison on French horn, Jean-François Cotnoir on tuba, Jay Michalak on trumpet, and Carsten Rubeling on trombone. Those in attendance will hear a range of music from the classics such as Vivaldi and the Four Seasons, to the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun.
Yet, it won’t be the quintets’ first appearance in Strathmore, having held concerts at Strathmore schools for many years. Morrison estimates a total of over one million school children have seen the band perform, including those at École Brentwood Elementary School.
“I approached them for our first season because I knew Chris and his wife Rosalee personally,” said Carolyn Steeves, artistic director and member of the Arts on 817 committee. “Rosalee and I did our Masters of music degrees at the University of Calgary together and I had Foothills Brass do a concert at École Brentwood Elementary School many years ago. For our first season we were looking for talent from Calgary and southern Alberta area and they were a perfect fit.”
The Foothills Brass will be performing on May 4 at the Strathmore United Church at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, and $10 for students. For tickets call Linda at 403-934-2797.