Category Archives: Spirituality & Religion

Dr Ryhana Dawood’s Martial Smarts: FIGHT LIKE A GIRL

Posted on April 24, 2017 by barczablog

The words on the poster caught my eye. “FIGHT LIKE A GIRL”, all in capitals. When I inquired further I discovered Martial Smarts and then its founder Dr Ryhana Dawood: a strong advocate for women’s health and female empowerment through self-defense. … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Politics, Psychology and perception, Spirituality & Religion, Sports, University life | Leave a comment

Questions for Evan Webber: Other Jesus

Posted on April 11, 2017 by barczablog

Evan Webber is a writer and performance maker who lives in Toronto. Evan’s work considers the relationship between time and text, and between narratives and institutions. Evan is an Associate Artist of Public Recordings, a collaborative operation that conjoins artistic research, performance … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Spirituality & Religion | Leave a comment

Tallis Scholars & friends: Magnificat

Posted on March 26, 2017 by barczablog

Tonight felt like a kind of affirmation of permanence in the face of change and disorder in the world. The Tallis Scholars, conducted by Peter Phillips, joined forces with two University of Toronto ensembles –Schola Cantorum and Theatre of Early … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | 1 Comment

Metaphysical Sausage Party

Posted on December 18, 2016 by barczablog

Imagine you were having a spiritual crisis. There you are, wondering, asking yourself about God and the meaning of life. And then you stumble upon a film on pay TV that seems to offer answers, precisely at the moment of … Continue reading →

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Encounter with Hilary Kilbourn

Posted on September 9, 2016 by barczablog

I posted a press release earlier this week, concerning someone who passed through my life briefly. One paragraph in particular caught my eye: About The Hilary Kilbourn Memorial Fund Hilary continues to cast her spell over the Island through good … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Personal ruminations & essays, Spirituality & Religion | 2 Comments

The Coronation of King George II

Posted on July 27, 2016 by barczablog

This was the most fun I’ve had at a concert since the epic minimalist concert (oxymoron?) in August 1st 2013. Then as now I believe we were seeing Toronto Summer Music Artistic Director Douglas McNabney pushing the envelope of what’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Popular music & culture, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion, University life | 1 Comment

The Walrus Talks: Spirituality or ymmv

Posted on April 5, 2016 by barczablog

A friend took me to Walrus Talks tonight. Evidently the magazine organizes these colloquia to investigate a topic such as tonight’s theme, spirituality. It seemed apt that we were at Trinity-St Paul’s, a space I think of as much for … Continue reading →

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Questions for Peter Togni: Isis and Osiris

Posted on March 15, 2016 by barczablog

Peter Togni, a well-known name from his time on the CBC, also known as Peter-Anthony Togni, is a busy Canadian composer of spiritually rooted and contemplative music. You can read a detailed biography here.  Originally from Pembroke, Ontario, he currently … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Questions for Stephanie Martin: Babel

Posted on March 2, 2016 by barczablog

Stephanie Martin is a composer & conductor, associate professor of music at York University. I heard about her because of a brief controversy that has already been settled, concerning her choral symphony Babel to be premiered at Wilfrid Laurier University … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology, Spirituality & Religion, University life | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Going Home Star: against Babel

Posted on February 29, 2016 by barczablog

I’ve been listening to Christos Hatzis’ score for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Going Home Star and by that I mean that it’s constantly playing in my car over the past week. I saw the ballet earlier this month, a creation … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Politics, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment