Brian DeBunce Music

Exactly two years ago I posted the above photo of the Dockside Green totem pole. Now this photo appears as the cover of an album of fine new age music entitled, appropriately, "Totem." The music is written and performed by Brian DeBunce and you can hear and/or buy some of it using the player below. I always liked this photo and am happy to see it in use with such fine music.
Click here to visit Brian's website and find out more about this musician.

Toot TOOT

Inspired by fellow CDP Bloggers Blognote of Arona Every Day, Snapper of Gabriola Daily Photo and Kim of Seattle Daily Photo I have been experimenting with black and white. Above is a band concert on Ship Point Pier. I liked this photo in color but it wasn't until I started to work with it in black and white that I was able to bring out the two tubas like I wanted. The tubas are shiny in color but much shinier in black and white.

Parade

One of the features of the Victoria Day Weekend is high school marching bands - about 40 of them perform and march in the Victoria Day parade. This year almost all of the bands were from the states of Washington, Oregon and California. These kids put on a terrific show and helped to make this weekend a success. I'll probably be posting pictures of some individual bands and performers over the next week or so but for now, above is a sousaphone's view of the parade.

Victoria Day Weekend 1

Victoria Day is a nation-wide holiday in Canada, now celebrated on the last Monday before May 24th, which was Queen Victoria's birthday. Probably nowhere in Canada is it celebrated with such fervor, however, as here in the city that bears her name. There are so many events that it is difficult to know where to go or what to look at and photo opportunities are everywhere. Today we have the Highland Games and to celebrate that as well as to doff my hat in memory of Queen Victoria's long time Scottish companion, John Brown, I offer a photo of a bagpiper playing above the Inner Harbour Causeway. Click the video below to hear a sample of his music.

Young Violinists - Bastion Square

Bastion Square seems to attract violinists. These two, while providing excellent entertainment, were probably not licensed because of their youth. However, it seems a good and harmless way for young performers to earn a little spare change and gain some experience in the challenges of playing for the public (see short video below).
Below is a 40 second sample of the music these kids were playing. It seemed particularly appropriate for the nautical flavour of Bastion Square (that's an old light house light beside them and the Maritime Museum behind them on their right.)

Violinist - Bastion Square

Downtown today to photograph one of Victoria's mechanical street clocks but got sidetracked about three times on the way there. Bastion Square was decked out for spring and this street musician was seated in front of his home at the Lighthouse Gallery. He can be seen in the broader context of Bastion Square at the bottom right of the photo below.
The second digression today was a visit to the Maritime Museum, just visible through the branches of the tree on the left. I was stunned by the range of interesting artifacts and information there AND one can take photographs so....

Bastion Square is not so much a square as a series of pedestrian-only open spaces running from Government Street down to Wharf Street (two blocks). At this time of year craftsmen and artists stalls here mingle with art galleries, sidewalk cafes and bars. It is the site of the original Fort Victoria and is intimately associated with the history and development of the city. We'll be visiting it often over the next months since nearly every building has a story to tell.

Jean Bedard - Musician

The Inner Harbour Causeway has become such popular (and lucrative) venue for buskers and musicians that performers must now audition before they are granted licenses. This musician's name is Jean Bedard. You can get some idea of his music from the video below, although the sound quality is poor (I'm working on it!) I take this opportunity to thank Jean for his permission to use this photo. I hope he gets his license because I'd like to hear more.

Metro - Ukrainian Dulcimer

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Metro, a street musician playing on the Inner Harbour causeway. He plays the Ukrainian Dulcimer, an instrument I had never heard before. Below is a video I took to give you some idea of what a dulcimer sounds like and how it is played.