Kristin Froneman
For The Morning Star
He stands at the window, surrounded by orchards sloping down towards Wood Lake, and blows into the coiled brass instrument. Its mellowed sound has just enough resonance to wake the birds as they squawk their displeasure from their nesting places. Then they settle down to the quiet.
It害羞草研究所檚 an imagined situation, but one that Edmund House has likely performed at his idyllic home in the hills of Oyama, which he shares with his wife Shari.
It害羞草研究所檚 a full house filled with instruments. House害羞草研究所檚 upright-up bass stands next to the piano, which is laden with sheet music. Other instruments are tucked inside their cases 害羞草研究所� the indented oblong one contains Shari害羞草研究所檚 viola.
害羞草研究所淚 want to show you something,害羞草研究所� House says suddenly, standing up to go fetch a twisted snarl of slightly tarnished brass, which opens up to a flared bell.
害羞草研究所淚 call it the Coils of Gold,害羞草研究所� said House, pointing out that the instrument has no valves.
害羞草研究所淚t is a 100-year-old French hunting horn.害羞草研究所�
About to step down from his position as principal horn with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (OSO), House has made his presence known throughout the world as well as here in the Okanagan.
害羞草研究所淚 now live in the country and play horn. I look after my one-acre property. I guess you could say I害羞草研究所檓 not your typical horn player who heads to the conservatory every morning. I am a music guy, but I also have a life outside of music.害羞草研究所�
However, music does keep him rather busy.
Not only has House held his first seat with the OSO for 30 years, he also played principal horn with the Kamloops Symphony for 25 seasons and freelanced with both the Vancouver and Victoria symphonies.
害羞草研究所淲hen I arrived here, it was surprising to me how busy I would become. Not only were Vancouver and Victoria calling me to play often, I was also playing with other groups,害羞草研究所� he said.
House helped form and has performed in a number of brass ensembles, including Ogopogo Brass, Horns-A-Plenty, Fish on Five, and Coils of Gold, some of which continue to play events to this day.
害羞草研究所淚 have a passion for every horn,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 started on cornet then went to the French horn, then to percussion. I played in rock bands at school and played bass in the army.害羞草研究所�
House met Shari while both performed in the Winnipeg Symphony.
They reunited in Aspen, Colo., where they played at the Aspen Music Festival, and then spent many years moving around the continent and across the pond.
In the early 害羞草研究所�80s, the couple went back to the northwest so House could study for his master害羞草研究所檚 in music at the University of Washington in Seattle, and then they spent two years in Munich, where House completed his post-graduate studies under a Fulbright scholarship.
After soaking up the music scene in Munich and performing with the Bavarian city害羞草研究所檚 orchestra as well as doing some soundtrack work, House decided to go even further abroad. He and Shari moved to Brazil.
害羞草研究所淲e were in Belo Horizonte where I played principal horn. There was a big soccer match when we got to town and you could hear the cheers all over the city whenever a goal was scored,害羞草研究所� said House.
害羞草研究所淏razil blew us away,害羞草研究所� added Shari. 害羞草研究所淭hey make music all the time. We would hear samba groups playing in the streets.害羞草研究所�
The Houses not only immersed themselves in music, they also added to their family, adopting a girl.
They left Brazil after four years, when their daughter, Lauren, was only 16 months old.
Lauren hasn害羞草研究所檛 been back to the country of her birth since then, but will be making the journey with her father this June, as House has been invited to be a contributing artist at the 49th International Horn Society Symposium in Natal, Brazil.
After performing with the symphonies in Lincoln and Omaha in his home state of Nebraska, and then in Spokane, Wash., House saw an advertisement in an international musicians害羞草研究所� publication calling for musicians to audition for the OSO.
害羞草研究所淭here were 20 players in the core orchestra then and about three-to-four from that group are still with the symphony,害羞草研究所� said House.
The three decades with the OSO have been busy ones. Besides performing, House served as the OSO害羞草研究所檚 personnel manager for 10 years.
害羞草研究所淥ver the years, I have had a front row seat to several financially challenging seasons filled with fundraisers, two guest conductor search seasons, three music directors, and a revolving door of general managers,害羞草研究所� he said.
House has enjoyed working with the current OSO music director Rosemary Thomson for the past decade.
害羞草研究所淲ith Rosemary Thomson, we had the will and the way,害羞草研究所� said Shari.
害羞草研究所淭hings have stabilized at the symphony. Rose has been good for us. She is positive and good with her banter with the audience and bringing the youth symphony in as well as the choirs. She has put her stamp on the community,害羞草研究所� added House.
House is leaving the principal horn position in good hands now that he has decided to take a back seat. He uses the word retire loosely as he will still perform as a 害羞草研究所渦tility害羞草研究所� player and be on call whenever the symphony needs him.
House commends his fellow players, including OSO trumpeter and current youth symphony co-director Dennis Colpitts, who has played French horn since 2004, former OSO manager Scott Wilson, who has been sharing the first seat role with House the past few years, and Nealee Humphreys of Vernon, whom House has mentored, and has been playing in third and fourth seat.
A staunch advocate for local players and live music, House plans to continue running his event company with Shari called Full House Productions, and will also continue to promote the arts locally through the Lake Country Performing Arts Society, of which Shari is president. Some of the events they have booked include Okanagan Symphony fundraisers, Okanagan Wine Festival, Lake Country ArtWalk, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce President害羞草研究所檚 Ball, and UBC Okanagan害羞草研究所檚 graduation ceremony as part of the Okanagan Symphony Wind Ensemble.
House joins the OSO in its last performance of the season, May 6 at 7 p.m. at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre. Ballet Kelowna will join in the performance of the Canadiana Suite: A Sesquicentennial Celebration of Canada害羞草研究所檚 150th anniversary. Tickets are at the Ticket Seller, 250-549-7469, ticketseller.ca.
