A brief description can be heard here with a CBC Lab Morning interview with Markam and Tom Gordon.
To say both Fran and I were very moved by the film would be an understatement. Tom Gordon did an amazing job organizing the music, musicians and guiding the film to it's fruition over a number of Years. And Nigel and his crew are to be congratulated for the high quality of the film, the visuals, editing and the ending will blow you away, if not then go seek help.
If the film achieves one thing I hope it moves the Elders of the Moravian church, especially in Nain, to find a way to attract younger people back to the church. If not for the religion then for the musical traditions of the choir, brass and string bands, that have been part of the Inuit culture here for a couple of hundred years.
The film will be shown on CBC and other media later this year, it will be available on CD as well.
Here is another cultural story from CBCLab morning, this time pre Christian culture. Click on drumming for the pod cast.
Drum dancing and throat singing has been in a somewhat revivalist mode, mainly amongst the younger folk, for some years.
It was the Christians who banned these activities in the communities in the belief that they were associated with shamanism.
Ironically it was a white guy who started the revitalization some years back, at least from a Nain perspective.
Bill Wheaton was an arts teacher at JHMS who was involved with all sorts of programs within the school and without from visual art to theater, print making and the re introduction of the drum dancing and throat singing.
Some people are of the mind that pre Christian culture should take precedence over Christian introduced activities.
In the area of Moravian choir and brass and string band music this is a croc of shite to my mind.
They are now as much Inuit culture for many Inuit as the pre Christian activities. Inuit of Labrador have taken the European music and turned it into something unequally there own.
If not for Tom Gordon it most likely would still be a hidden gem available only to those in Central and Northern Labrador.
Anonymous commenter pointed out this story in the Telegram. Some very valid points covered in the article.
If the teacher will not speak publicly to the points raised [I do not blame her] then surly someone at the higher echelons of the school administration should be speaking out.
Are there concerns within the administration about the whole affair? Mind you it might be all moot if JHMS does not win.
Surly then there will be someone speaking out and asking why JHMS garnered almost 2,000 more votes than the second place and yet did not win.
As to the cost and logistics of getting them all out to Goose Bay: Now that Inuit are majority shareholder in Air Labrador surly some arrangement can be made with that airline. I wonder if anyone has bothered to ask?
2 comments:
Has anyone asked who the judges are for this contest? If it's being judged by Parks Canada and the other sponsors, I'd bet that no class in a remote area will win because of the travel constraints. It looks pretty bad if a class wins and then can't accept the prize because they aren't near a major city....
It looks like there is enough wriggle room under the judging rubric for any outs the judges wish to use.
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