UFO Sighting in Downtown Toronto

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 Nancy Telfer, Star-Gazing (excerpt)

I was invited to play flute for the University of Toronto’s monthly open house at their Observatory last week – two observation domes are perched on top of a 16-storey Earth Sciences Building just near College and St. George. Open to the public on the first Thursday of every month, the lectures are a lot of fun, not to mention that there is a chance afterwards to try the powerful telescopes to view the heavens. 

Last Thursday it ended up being overcast so their was a general sense of disappointment until someone trained one of the telescopes on this strange sight! Hovering high above Toronto’s downtown core there was what looked loke a UFO, slowly-turning and abalze with multi-coloured lights! Taken on my cell phone – I held it up to the eye-piece - the picture is a little unclear and inverted due to the nature of the telescope. If the resolution were a little better, you would be able to see figures walking within the revolving restaurant, because, of course, this is our beloved CN Tower…at a magnification of like a million to one!

Star-Gazing is a set of five short pieces that explore inter-galactic themes for the young flute player. Written by Nancy Telfer, Star-Gazing is featured in Kathryn Cernauskas’  The Magical Flute, a wonderful collection of flute music by Canadian composers. This is only the first measures of ‘Telfer’s First Star I See Tonight before my batteries died – the observatory is unheated – dress warmly if you come out on March5th – and, as I discovered in Hamilton, my recorder’s batteries can freeze!

And for something totally out-of-this-world, check out Robert Dick as he explains his Whammy Bar Headjoint that he has developed over the past few years. Robert Dick is one cool cat, based out of NYC, and has blazed a trail for flutists wishing to explore all manner of extended technique. This wild headjoint was originally inspired by listening to Jimi Hendrix, and is also useful to allow the silver flute to achieve the glissandi that are integral to classical Indian music.

Last I heard they were only making 4 or 5 of these headjoints per year so there might be a bit of a waiting list. But if you’re patient, maybe you’ll be able to rock out on your flute sometime soon…just imagine if Greg Patillo got his hands on one of these babies!!

Detailed info about these Telescope Nights to follow…definitely worth checking out!