entertainment Funding (F NORTH Vancouver playwright Joan MacLeod was a resident of B.C., neither of her two plays cur- rently being performed here would exist. MacLeod was in town pro- moting her plays, Toronto Mississippi and Jewel, which recently opened at the Firehall Theatre. MacLeod, who grew up in North Vancouver and is now play- wright-in-residence at Toronto's Tarragon Theatre, said many B.C. playwrights like herself are forced to flee to Toronto because of the lack of provincial funding for the arts. "! hold the B.C. government responsible for that,’’ said Mcleod, ‘‘It sees the arts as a drain on the economy.”’ In contrast, the Ontario gov- Music thrills From page 25 “1 like the variation of the songs and | like it especially when we harmonize. It takes a lot of practice, but it’s thrilling to hear,”’ says 13-year-old Carleigh Whit- man, a Hillside School student. The thrill of singing well, and the acclamation the chair receives has been a driving force behind the VCC’s success. Last summer in Powell River, the VCC came third out of 40 choirs at an international choral competi- tion. They have recorded the soundtrack to the CBS movie, Tomorrow’s Child, and next month will perform Handel’s Mes- siah to mark the centenary of Christ Church Cathedral. Their success, however, has not been without long, laborious hours of practice. Lang works the children hara, with vocal production training, sight-singing, ear-training, music theory and terminology, a routine part of practice. But when it comes to progress, even Lang is impatient. “You can’t always get the sound you have in your head,”’ he says smiling. According to Lang, a good, strong sound takes between four to five years to develop, mak- ing progress a slow business. He says the VCC is on the brink of achieving that, but members always have the nagging feeling in the backs of their heads that they need “one more rehearsal.”” ‘4 suppose that’s the desire for perfection within all artists,’’ says Lang. om’ ltchin’ to go From page 24 Doo-Dah from Song Of The South; and Tom Waits’ subterranean ver- sion of Heigh Ho (The Dwarfs Marching Song) from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. Etta James — Seven Year Itch, island Records 1988 The reigning Chess Records queen of sou! during the ’60s scratches up some powerhouse R&B in the twilight of the ’80s. James teams up with keyboard player Barry Beckett, who ap- peared on her acclaimed 1968 Chess Records release, Tell Mama. This time around Beckett produces and plays. The 50-year-old James has lived the high life, racking up 23 Billboard hit singles, and she’s lived the Jow life, mired for 10 years in heroin addiction. But the voice has survived and matured — it’s a big gospel- grounded sound originating from deep down somewhere. The in- strumentation embellishes with brash emotion whipped up by precise horns and bluesy guitar breaks filling out James’ exhorta- tions. Aworthy addition to the R&B section of any collection. % - Wednesday, November 30, 1988 — North Shore [News blasted ernment has provided funding to make Toronto a flourishing arts centre, she said. It was the help of a provincial grant that made MacLeod’‘s plays possible. Toronto Mississippi, which runs until Dec. 3 at the Firehall, is bas- ed on MacLecd’s own experience as a child care worker and life skills worker for mentally handi- capped adults. Jewel, which closed on Nov. 26, is a one-woman show about a woman’s love life, from childhood memories to memories of her dead husband. MacLeod is presently completing her new play, Amigos Blue Guitar, which will be performed next year in Toronto and directed by Van- couver Playhouse’s Larry Lillo. into lighter ; 4 our AM! shipment ey 48601) Wee radios (12-869 ember cs car. Plug it from oat 1 49 ch. THE NORTH Shore Chamber Music Society will be celebrating its Christmas season with ‘Concert and Carols’’ on Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Catherines Anglican Church in North Vancouver. The program begins with Vivaldi’s Sonata in E Flat Major, followed by Mozart’s Recitativo and Rondo and Alleluja, sung by North Shore soprano, Ta- tiana Vasilieva Maloff. The afternoon performance features North Shore pianist Nicholas Maloff playing Mazart’s Concerto in C. Audience is invited to par- ticipate in the finale with Christmas carols, led by Maloff. Tickets are available at the door or call 922-2197 for more in- formation. water-te gutdoor WORKS BY an array of interna- tional artists will be on sale beginning tomorrow at Pres- entation House’s Silent Photo Auction. Photographs by artists Lynne Cohen, Evergon, Danny Lyon, Joyce Neimanas, Lonny Shavelson, Jim Breukelman are up for auction from which pro- ceeds wifl go to Presentation House Gallery. Also up for bids are photo sessions with Vancouver photographers Chick Rice and Oraf, and prints from Presentat- ion House’s previous exhibits, In Transition: Postwar Photography in Vancouver and this summer’s Glamour: George Hurrel and contem- poraries, The auction runs until Dec. 18. See it on the North Shore HANOSWORTH SECONDARY School presents a_ traditional Christmas dessert extravaganza. Three hundred musicians under the direction of Bob Rebegliatti. will feature or- chestra, choir, Canadian na- tional champion the senior jazz band, and award-winning jazz and concert bands. Free dessert. Proceeds go towards student travel ex- perses, scholarships and uniforms. sxe NORTH VANCOUVER Folkfest is holding its fourth annual Christmas concert on Dec. 4 at Centennial Theatre. Mini Ho's Strathcona Chinese Dance company and Sincere Lam’s guzheng players featured. Program begins 2 p.m. are a ;