Jeanne Lamon (1949-2021)
Like so many others, I was deeply saddened to hear of Jeanne Lamon’s death last Sunday at the age of 71.
Her legacy as Music DIrector of Tafelmusik and a superb violinist is immeasurable. And, as I have been reflecting on this past week, her effect on my professional life has been deep and powerful.
I experienced her tremendous gifts from several vantage points. Firstly, I was her student and experienced the boundless energy and generosity of her teaching. At the same time (late 1980s) I became a subscriber and went to as many Tafelmusik concerts as I could, brilliantly programmed and passionately executed as they were. Soon after, I joined the Chamber Choir and, off and on for the next 20 years, shared the stage with Jeanne (often from rather distant positions!) and always loved the occasional moments when our eyes would meet and she would flash that beautiful smile.
The whole atmosphere at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre - especially before their renovation - was full of charming contradictions. The choir and orchestra dressed in tails and glittery dresses, but met up in the intermission for a cookie or two with the audience. We performed some of the greatest musical literature of all time on stage, while salsa classes and AA meetings were going on in other parts of the church. Occasionally, in earlier times, the church cat, Moriarity, would wander into the nave during rehearsals, wondering what all the commotion was about. Car horns and sirens from Bloor Street sounded regularly through the open windows. This atmosphere always struck me as pure Jeanne: exceptionally high standards, intelligence and grace in a down-to-earth atmosphere right in the middle of our complicated modern life.
I will treasure the memory of those experiences of watching and interacting with her in various capacities. The style of collaborative leadership that she modelled and the excellence and ambition that she brought to the Tafelmusik organization was incredibly inspiring to me. The work that I did at Toronto Masque Theatre and continue to do with Confluence Concerts would absolutely not have been possible without that inspiration. It was, in retrospect, a poignant honour to have Jeanne and Christina contribute performances from Victoria to our recent Purcell Remembrance online program in November, 2020.
Tafelmusik has made over 70 critically-acclaimed commercial recordings of an incredibly wide range of repertoire from the Baroque and Classical eras. I still often return to the 1992 CD of the Concerti Grossi of Francesco Geminani. Jeanne’s playing on this recording is so full of the transparent, ephemeral beauty that we respond so deeply to in all music. The slow movement of op. 2 no. 3 in particular is a radiant example of her warm, fanciful and deeply meaningful playing.
Thank you, Jeanne, for gracing us with your uncompromising brilliance and for inspiring and generously enabling so many others to do their best work.
Love and condolences to Christina Mahler and the Tafelmusik family.
Larry Beckwith