As Gryphon Trio faces the logistical challenges of touring the Northwest Territories in February, one important lesson has presented itself.
“Extreme weather brings out a sense of interdependence in people that you miss in the city,” points out pianist Jamie Parker from his hotel in Inuvik.
Parker points out just a few of the countless people who have helped the Gryphon Trio over the week-long tour. There was Jodi, who outfitted them with “insane Wookie mitts” for a dog sled outing in Inuvik. Or “Buffalo Joe” McBryan, the rugged airline owner and star of the TV show Ice Pilots, who safely navigated icy runways to get the trio and their instruments from Yellowknife to Hay River. Finally, much to Parker’s delight, there was Brian Wainwright, who has the near-impossible task of maintaining a quality grand piano in Yellowknife’s dry, northern climate.
All these people helped Gryphon Trio bring chamber music to a wide range of venues, including Inuvik's "Igloo Church" and its newly opened East 3 school, which saw the world premiere of a piano trio written by a Yellowknife composer not much older than the students. The most unusual venue was Hay River’s Riverview Cineplex.
It was an unforgettable performance for some surprised moviegoers, and an even more unforgettable trip for the Gryphons.
Be sure to click through CBC Music’s photo gallery of Gryphon Trio’s travels through the Northwest Territories for an inside look at the tour.
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Related:
Gryphon Trio postcard: Northwest Territories tour gets underway
Gryphon Trio’s postcards from the Northwest Territories tour
CBC Music exclusives: the Gryphon Trio
posted by
Michael Morreale
on Feb 27, 2013