Kateryna Topol –
As a large, vibrant city, Toronto is home to many talented musicians and about 60 of them are members of the Counterpoint Community Orchestra. Dating back to 1984, the orchestra is the first secular lesbian and gay orchestra in Canada (and in the world at its founding). This year the orchestra will celebrate its 40th anniversary, in partnership with Pride Toronto, with a June 15 concert at the Eastminster Church on Danforth Avenue. This season’s theme is Pride and Progress reflecting on the trials and tribulations of the orchestra and its community and celebrating their wins.
The orchestra was “born out of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the mid-’80s,” recalls David Brownstone, viola player, orchestra director and 40th Anniversary Concert Committee co-chair. First performances were at the Community Church of Toronto, but today it’s headquartered in The 519 Church Community Centre in the heart of the Church-Wellesley Village.
Preparing for the anniversary event, “we were rather flabbergasted to find that over 600 musicians have played in our community orchestra,” said chairperson Elizabeth Mary Mitchell.
The orchestra established itself as a safe space for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to play and fully grow their craft in an environment where they can be their fullest selves, which even in 2024 can be hard to find.
For most members, the orchestra is an extracurricular activity. Brownstone, for instance, had to step away from music due to a demanding medical job, but felt a void. “I was looking for a place that was not just a fun place to play, but had a welcoming community feel,” he reflected, “it has now been 22 years”.
Counterpoint Community Orchestra is also an educational centre for a historically marginalized community. On multiple occasions it has launched professional music careers by providing scholarships to members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Over the years, many orchestra players had an opportunity to perform solos or play with famous artists including trumpeter and conductor John Edward Liddle and bassist Jimmy Amaro. Numerous orchestra members have gone on to become professional musicians and composers.
2SLGBTQIA+ community members can play a role in the performances. At the recent holiday concert, Fay Slift narrated ’Twas the Night Before Christmas’. Multiple other concerts were hosted by Enza Anderson, a well-known trans activist who placed third in Toronto’s 2000 mayoral election.
Though funded only through donations and ticket sales, the orchestra tries to support others through fundraising events and free neighbourhood performances in Allan Gardens.
Concert performances follow a classical format, two sections divided by an intermission, and focus on mostly classical music and original compositions by orchestra members or commissioned for it. The June 15 anniversary concert will celebrate queer composers and shine a spotlight on Jaedon Daly, a 2022 scholarship recipient who will perform solo.
For the full program and tickets, visit www.ccorchestra.org.
