Allan Gardens Conservatory

Sonata, CPE Bach

The moth-balled Maple Leaf Gardens tends to get all the press, but you owe it to yourself to visit the ‘other’ gardens just a little further along Carlton Street: The Allan Gardens!

After a hockey scrimmage at Moss Park Arena last weekend, I realized that I finally had the opportunity to record in this tropical paradise, and while a wedding entourage and various visitors wandered amidst the lush foliage, I practised a bit and gave one of my favorite pieces a quick read-through.

Since mid-winter I had been wanting to check out the acoustics of these magnicent glassed-in spaces at the Allan Gardens Conservatory, with the romantic notion that it would be especially evocative in the middle of one our many snow-storms. Despite a record snow-fall and a winter that seemed to go on and on, I just never was able to work it into my schedule to get over there during a blizzard!

It had literally been decades since I last set foot in this magical place, and next time I intend to have a look inside the transplanted and restored Victorian Greenhouse that was donated by the University of Toronto back in 2004, and that now share the grounds serving as a Children’s Conservatory.

Perhaps once again it will be snowing…like playing in a giant snow-globe!