the postwar expansion of Toronto's musical prepared by Hams and Fred Feuerriegel life." The "great many changes in the proves it: many of the most respected artists musical life of Toronto" between Betty Jean of the past and present were indeed Hagen's 1953 and 1987 recitals appearances sponsored for the first time in Toronto, are left to the reader to discover elsewhere. Canada, or even North America by the Almost the last allusion to the WMC's WMC, from Wanda Landowska and Joseph context is on p. 165 concerning the 1962-63 Szigeti in the 1920s, through Dietrich season, and at three sentences is the most Fischer-Dieskau and Leontyne Price in the detailed in the book. And the notes of 1950s, to Elly Ameling and the Tokyo String occasional conflict with another city musical Quartet in the 1970s. However, except for a event suggest dissonance rather than couple of passing references to the use of a counterpoint. New York artists' agency, the actual working methods of the concert convenors are not Elliott first mentions the club's "great skill explained. The underlying mystery of how in introducing important young artists" in the they did it may remain, but who they were context of programs mounted during World and what they did are revealed (Elliott's War I, notes that by the late 1950s "the stated purpose) in this official history in reputation of the WMC as a discoverer of generous detail, supported by extensive new talent was at an all-time high," and footnotes, an abstract, bibliography and list describes the 1963 debut of Hermann Prey as of sources, various appendices, and an index providing "further confirmation of the in which, as in the text women are listed WMC's reputation for introducing the most with their own personal and maiden names, exciting young singers of the day to Toronto not (as they were in their lives) by their audiences." Nearer the end, he cites the husbands' initials. contracting of Angela Hewitt several months before she won the 1985 Bach competition as "further confirmation of the WMC's uncanny Ka thleen McMorro W ability to spot rising young talent." An Faculty of Music Library indexed list of WMC concerts from 1899-1997 University of Toron to Healey Willan: Life and Music. By F.R.C. Clarke. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c1983, 1997 paperback reprint. 300 p. $24.95 ISBN 0-8020-8136-3 T11is year marks the 30th anniversary of His opera Deirdre was recently performed in Healey Willan's death, so a reissue of a Toronto by Opera in Concert. As a volume dedicated to his life is not parishioner of the Church of St. Mary unexpected. Several events are planned to Magdalene in Toronto, where Willan was honor the life and work of a man who is still precentor, organist and choirmaster for 47 regarded as one of Canada's greatest years, I hear and sing his music almost every composers, and certainly one of its most Sunday. prolific. Although he is mainly remembered for his sacred vocal and organ music, Willan In recent years, both the Church of St. wrote in many forms. His sacred and secular Mary Magdalene Choir and the Vancouver works appear regularly on concert programs. Chamber Choir have produced compact discs of Willan's sacred music, and a compact disc paragraph on page 20 mentions Willan's of Willan playing the organ, recorded live at honorary doctorate from the University of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene during Toronto, the birth of his daughter Mary, the 1965-67 was recently released by EM1 (EM1 composition of An Apostrophe to the Classics 7243-5-5600-2). Articles, theses and Heavenly Hosts, the authors of the text of doctoral dissertations continue to be written this work, and for whom it was analyzing his music. His life and commissioned. All of this information is compositions are prominently mentioned in presented in four short sentences with no books on Canadian music. EMC2 and David linking relationship. In contrast, the foreword Greig's history of the parish, In the Fullness by Godfrey Ridout provides a fascinating of Time: A History of the Church of Saint and appealing portrait of Willan. Mary Magdalene (Toronto: The Church, 1990), also contain a great deal of In making his case for the secular music, information about Willan's contribution to Clarke diminishes to some extent the the liturgy and music of the Christian church. importance of Anglo-Catholicism in Willan's This reprint of Clarke's book contains no life and music. Many have recounted that new information except another preface by Willan was never happier or more content the author; not even the bibliography is than when sitting at the organ every Sunday, updated. conducting the choirs and fully participating in the life of his church. This part of him is Clarke provides analyses of all of willan's lost in the endless listing of dates and details major works. He points out that Willan which abruptly change direction with no wrote in many different genres, and that analysis of their effect or importance. much of his secular music is interesting and worthy of study and performance. The The circumstances of Willan's departure analyses are well-written, and provide a from the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in more compelling portrait of Willan as 1941 are inaccurately portrayed. musician than the biographical section does. Disagreements between Willan and the It would have been useful to have the Rector, Father Lee Greene, about who was in musical examples in the text, rather than as charge of the music, combined with a an appendix; the awkwardness of this particularly flagrant extramarital affair, approach makes the analyses less useful than brought matters to a head. The letters Willan they might be. Headings on the examples wrote when tendering his resignation state indicating the name of the work and the only that he found his duties too onerous measure numbers for the excerpt would also and wanted more time for composition. make it more useable. These problems were (They are available in the church's archives, mentioned by several reviewers of the which Clarke did not consult in his research.) original publication, but have not been But Clarke says the extramarital affair was changed. the only reason for Willan's forced resignation. Given Willan's lifetime The biographical section, comprising the commitment to Anglo-Catholicism, leaving first six chapters, is less successful. Clarke the church must have been painful for him. fails to bring the man to life, and Willan was Clarke, however, deals with it in a couple of quite a character by most accounts. Virtually sentences in a chronology of 1941-42. The every paragraph begins with "On [specific next paragraph changes direction completely date]", In [month or year]", or 'Willan". to talk about concerts given later that year; a Abrupt changes in direction only obscure the few paragraphs later, Willan's return to the chronology even more. For example, one church is dealt with in a couple of short and bibliography in EMC2 and other sources sentences. are more current. I think David Neelands summed it up best in his review, published Lack of documentation is another in Ontario History in 1983: "It will not likely problem. Most of the information that Clarke be read for amusement." It is not the best used was unpublished, but he does not example of biographical writing, mostly provide any footnotes or indication of because of the author's failure to put the sources consulted. This makes it difficult for events of Willan's life into perspective or to future researchers to build on Clarke's work. analyze their relative importance. A new and Libraries without the original volume may updated biography, with recent research and want to purchase this reissue for the musical documented sources, would have been more analyses, although the biographical material useful. Chetyl Martin Toronto Reference Library LAML News The IAML Board had its mid-year meeting going on. A discussion as to how many on Feb. 27-28 in Milan. It was a fruitful members does it take to form a national meeting, with all board members present. branch began to take on the dimensions of Subjects discussed included the finances, the "librarians to change a light bulb kind, in which are in good shape, the logistics of other words, no magic number could be translating the Home Page into French and arrived at! German, the encouraging progress of the revised European volumes of RISM series C, This is an election year for IAML. All and how we should mark the passing of CAML members should have received a Barry Brook at the San Sebastian conference. ballot by now, so don't forget to vote (but John Roberts gave us a bit of a preview of remember, only international members are the 2002 meeting to be held in Berkeley. A eligible to do so!). set of guidelines for branch and commission chairs was prepared by the Secretary General. This summer the meeting is in San Sebastian, which is situated on the northern IAML membership now stands at an coast of Spain, near Biarritz. The situation encouraging 2012, and there are several looks wonderful, and it seems like there is a countries not yet represented who are good professional programme shaping up, working hard to form national branches, so too. The dates are June 21-26, 1998. Think it is good to know that this sort of activity is about it! Alison Hall Carleton University Library .