ABBA

Conductor, cornet player and trumpeter from Vancouver, British Columbia, who attended the University of Calgary, from whence he acquired a Bachelor’s degree in music, and went on to further his education in Chicago, Illinois, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

In 1971, he relocated to Edmonton and joined the Cosmopolitan Bands as Associate Director and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as assistant principal trumpet. In his first season, the ESO performed with Procol Harum and their collaboration was captured on a recording that eventually went platinum. He also recorded an album with Donna Warner in May 1974, but it was never released.

In the 1980s, Bill pursued another passion: Flying. He obtained his pilot license in 1988 and has since become a member of the Edmonton Flying Club and the Zone Commander of CASARA, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, in Edmonton.

In 1992, he performed with Da Camera Singers on in a program entitled Sounds of Summer at the Alberta Provincial Museum Theatre, and laid down tracks that would later appear on the Edmonton Wind Ensemble album, Snake Fence Country.

From 1996 to 1998, he was the conductor of Nova Musica. He has also worked with the Plumbers Union—no, they don’t fix faucets, but are a recorder ensemble—and they have performed for the Queen at the Commonwealth Games.

He has also been a guest soloist with the Concordia Symphony Orchestra. On 1^st February 1998, he played Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto in E flat”, and on 16^th April 2000, performed Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s trumpet concerto in the same key.

Bill is also instrumental—pun intended—in the ESO’s series of school concerts, bringing classical music to kids with a sense of humour. As a former director of MusiCamrose, he has been known to do a mean imitation of a lizard chasing, catching, and devouring a bird. He has also dabbled in origami, using Kleenex, which is no easy feat.

Edmonton Wind Ensemble recordings

Snake Fence Country – Howard Cable

CBC Records SMCD 5165 (Snake Fence Country)

Conductor – Harry Pinchin

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