Curator & Collector

Eric Friesen, the man behind the signature voice of classical music;
image taken from the CBC Radio 2 website

[Note: this is a slightly fuller version of a comment I left on the CBC Radio 2 Blog.]

I am putting together this post to the accompaniment of Eric Friesen’s last Studio Sparks program from the CBC Radio 2. I am so sad that CBC Radio 2 is changing. Two shows, in particular, always made my day during my commute to and from UBC.

First, Studio Sparks. In this age of false hype and clanging gongs, Eric Friesen wonderfully and quietly celebrated of each piece of music he played. Intellectually and aesthetically, Eric’s commentaries and interviews informed, entertained, and fascinated. The sound of Eric’s signature voice always soothed and calmed me when I needed it, or electrified me when I turned on the radio with great excitement to hear his program. Although the sheer variety of music on his show was sometimes awkward for this exclusive classical fan, I am grateful that he expanded my musical horizons. I will miss Eric a lot, and that is an understatement; for me, this is like a death: something to mourn, with an effort made at rejoicing over the accomplishments of the departed. Eric, please stay in the public ear somehow! I wish you the very best in your next endeavors.

Tom Allen is staying, fortunately, albeit in a different program. When I first listened to his show, “Music and Company,” I thought Tom a tad too flippant, and I did think he spoke too quickly. After some weeks, though, I was hooked by his warmth and wit, and particularly by how he brought out the carnival-like nature of much of the music he played. (I particularly enjoyed the Cage Matches he did!) For me, that will always be worth remembering, and I’m glad he will still be heard on CBC.

These were the two shows my schedule permitted me to listen to the most, but I will also miss Jurgen Gothe’s jingle that started the hour, and “Here’s to You”‘s delightfully wholesome Catherine Belyea. Here’s to you all, indeed. “Some other time,” I hope.
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UPDATE, August 31st. In my initial post, I tried to avoid going negative on the new CBC Radio 2. Nevertheless, if what I’ve heard about it appears to be true, it will be impossible for me not to link this to politics. I am particularly disappointed in the Conservative Party of Canada. Etymologically, at least, “conservatives” should also be “conservationists”–custodians of all the true, good, and beautiful that the past has given us. I intend to deal with this somewhat more at length in a future post.

For now, see also this post and this one on the subject.