Local Reno on Ice

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God Save the King

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Star-Spangled

Definitely the coolest construction site in the city, Bill Bolton Arena has just completed an extensive makeover and is back in operation. With all new boards and glass (seen here stacked in the background, awaiting installation), scrimmages have started up again and summer hockey camps are about to commence.I didn’t have our national anthem handy, but here is ‘God Save the King/Queen’ for a patriotic test of the wonderful acoustics. The ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ got backup vocals from some of the guys on site in the first take*, and the percussive construction noises in this rendition lend new meaning to the line: “…the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air”

A number of years ago, I was doing a late-night reno of my own, and was enjoying CBC’s ‘Brave New Waves’ . This is one of the finest shows radio has to offer, and is yours to discover just after the midnight news.** At the time, there was reference made to an upcoming hockey scrimmage and concert in a rink somewhere in Toronto, and the hype for this went on for weeks. At some point there was mention of Bill Bolton, and I made a point of dropping by. It was one of the oddest rag-tag bands playing ‘in situ’ that one could imagine: instead of any kind of audience to speak of, the bleachers contained a handful of able musicians, playing trombone, bagpipes, snare drum, sax: you get the picture! During the lulls in the action on the ice, the band would gamely commence to improvise a piece or two, sometimes sort of marching on the spot to keep warm! It was great: charming, slightly surreal, and most definitely a quintissential Canadian scene.

Needless to say, Bill Bolton is a cultural hub for the community!

* …back-up vocals and applause?! And just when I thought I would be jeered out of the building for playing the American anthem in a local Canadian rink! Bear in mind, the Stanley Cup final was nicely underway, the series returning to the City of Tulips with Ottawa down two games to Anneheim. So, the way I figure it, these workers either:

A/ are die-hard Jethro Tull fans,

B/ just love Classical Flute music,

C/ are looking for any kind of diversion until the coffe truck arrives, or

D/ are die-hard Leaf fans, and anything remotely suggesting the ‘Dominion of the Ducks’ over The Senators is to be celebrated!?

** NOTE: Brave New Waves was one of the finest radio shows on the air, and apparently has been scrapped??? For over 20 years I have found inspiration in BNW, and it is lamentable that it should be dropped. That being said, the CBC’s Laurie Brown and Danielle Charbonneau, who fill the void, are both trustworthy names in contemporary and classical music programming respectively. And just when it seemed that some things would never change! To express your opinion, contact CBC Audience Relations.