WELCOME TO TDES 40 IN TORONTO
LATEST NEWS :
Status Update
While it seems like an eternity since Covid 19 restrictions curtailed indoor activities, TDES can now look forward to membership meetings in the near future. As the Ontario restrictions eased this Spring, your Executive considered a June meeting as a prequel to our normal season September launch. Unfortunately, Montgomery’s Inn had a flood in the basement and also made some renovations on rental spaces at this time. The estimated time for the completion of construction is the end of June.
Unless there are unforeseen circumstances, TDES will be able to resume normal meetings in September. We will continue to monitor the status of the construction and, hopefully, confirm a meeting on Tuesday September 13th at 7:30 pm.
As a minimum, TDES will adhere to the City of Toronto Covid 19 protocols in their indoor rental space including Montgomery’s Inn. Individuals are free to take further precautions regardless including masking.
Annual membership fees will resume for the 2022-23 year. The $35 single member fee or $50 fee for a family can be paid at the September meeting or by mail with a cheque made out to “The Duke Ellington Society, Toronto Chapter” sent to Bruce Barton, Acting Treasuruer, 18 Edenbrook Hill, Etobicoke, ON M9A 3Z6.
In the past few years, we have had live music in the September meeting. After over a two year delay in meeting, your Executive is concerned that the number of members is generally maintained. Therefore, we will see if the interest is sufficient to warrant the cost of a concert at a later date. We do have some interesting programs in the can including video presentations. The topic, presenters and timing will be provided when we confirm our start date.
June 7 2022
Please see under the Meetings and Events tab for the results of our reopening survey and the Financial statement.
We hope that we will be able to arrange the Spring Fundrasing Concert for April 2023 with The John MacLeod Rex Hotel Orchestra and Jackie Richardson. Covid restrictions may interfere with our plans.
The Toronto Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society was created on May 4th. 1959 and was one of the earliest to be established. The first Chapter was founded in Washington D.C. in 1953 and with the New York Chapter they were the only two others in existence in 1959. Subsequently, several others have been formed in U.S. cities, in Britain and in Europe. While each chapter is independent there is
interchange of information and studies and an annual International
Conference. The Toronto Chapter hosted International Conferences in 1987 and 1996.
The music of Duke Ellington continues to bring people of all ages,
backgrounds, artistic, social and cultural inclinations together in the
spirit of swinging celebration. That is why TDES 40 continues to build
awareness of Ellington’s music and influence through study, discussion
and analysis in a welcoming and hospitable forum. We undertake the
wonderfully rewarding work of encouraging the performance of jazz and of
Ellington’s music by local, national and international musicians
through our organization of concerts and through the awarding of
scholarships to today’s musicians of the future.
Concerts are presented at a December Holiday Party and on a date near
April 29, Duke’s birthday, every year. These eagerly awaited events
have added significantly to the Chapter’s scholarship fund raising
capabilities. Since September 2012 we are now getting our season
underway with a live jazz performance by a trio or quartet at our
meeting location of Montgomery’s Inn.
