It is an immigrants curse to never quite have all of once components where one resides. No matter how often we say that home is where we live and love, there will always be that small part of us that remembers more or less fondly where we came from. This original home is something we will not forget and chose to revisit frequently in many different ways. If we do not travel back and forth to visit family and friends or vacation then we will seek out all those familiar things we otherwise miss. Luckily we live in a country that is globalized to the degree that we can acquire nearly everything from anywhere we desire.

There is of course all the ethnic food, even in supermarkets, which has been the cause for many a deli to lose too much business. There are our clubs and business and trade organizations, there are cultural venues of all sorts of descriptions, and there is art and culture everywhere from our homeland. And even though the numbers of first generation immigrants are shrinking at an alarming rate in our group, we still manage to import overseas artists to entertain us.

...turned out in big numbers...

The Austrians in our community turned out in big numbers at the Danube Swabian Club in Scarborough to see and listen to the Kärntener Doppelsextett, which performed at several venues during their tour through parts of Canada. They were very warmly welcomed by Andy Mora, and gave a concert that pulled on many heartstrings.

Dr. Karl Schmidt and his wife Maria were among the listeners, as was Christine Meyer, President of the Austrian Society, and many other prominent members of the community.

The Kärntner Doppelsextett

The concert itself was a wonderful mix of traditional folk music, popular sounds and even classical melodies, all conducted by Dr. Margit Heissenberger, who quotes on the website Beethoven: "Musik ist höhere Offenbarung als Weisheit und Philosophie." ("Music is more of a revelation then wisdom and philosophy.") That was indeed apparent that night, when all those immigrants felt at home aided by the sounds of their original homeland.

Annemarie Maierwieser had a fabulous commentary arranged in English and found to her surprise that she could and should do it in German. There was much to be learned by the audience that night and much to be admired.

The Doppelsextett is indeed an extraordinary group. Each one of the members has solo performer qualities, which they proved that evening, too. Each voice is unique, even extraordinarily different from the next, yet together they sound very harmonious. Their desire to please and to approximate perfection is obvious, as is their commitment to bridge building through music. How important this was for the listeners was reflected in Christine Meyer’s thank-you-remarks and in the ovation the audience said their farewells with.

A "Thank you" from Andy Mora	A "Thank you" from Christine Meyer, President of the Austrian Society
Farewell from the Doppelsextett and the audience

This year the Kärntener Doppelsextett is celebrating a 20^th anniversary by giving a concert in Velden on September 26 and 27. We congratulate them on their 20 years of music making and wish them much success in the future. And we thank them for a wonderful evening that brought us home.

Via Salzburg Contest - Win Season Tickets!

If you are perusing our publication you will have noticed on the back page a colour ad featuring Mayumi Seiler the founder and leader of Via Salzburg, a most fabulous string chamber orchestra. For nearly ten years we have followed the development of this divine musical enterprise. We were always, always well entertained, never bored, and always, always learned something interesting. Different musicians as guests with the most unusual instruments, like the glass armonica, including Mayumi’s famous sisters who are all making music in Europe, keep the program fresh and interesting. New composers are introduced, fused with other art forms like dance and painting. This is a place where old world meets new world and both of our sensibilities regarding home are addressed. Here Faust’s two souls live harmoniously together.

To find out more you can go to the website at www.viasalzburg.com and learn more about the next season and the performers, as well as Mayumi’s family of musicians. If you are the first to contact us and tell us how many Seiler sisters there are you can win a set of season tickets! Contact us by email: info@echoworld.com or by phone at 416-652-1332.

I hope to see many of you at the first concert in September!

More Home Feelings

Arriving at the German Canadian Club Hansa often feels like stepping back in time. I was reminded of my childhood when I saw an organ grinder and his monkey stand outside the doors to welcome guests to Carabram, the Brampton Version of our past Caravan celebrations. Though not as big as the Toronto city version that has now been gone for a few years but hopes to revive itself in the future, it satisfies the need for local cultural diversity, and the fact is there are still a lot of Germans living in the area.

The exhibition by Brigitte Gross

Brigitte Gross, as in the past, put together again interesting displays that explained German culture from various regions, with crafts and decorations for various seasonal festivities dominating the exhibit. There were dance groups performing in certain intervals and the children stole everyone’s heart, as usual.

It would not be Carabram if Regine and her husband would not show off her Dirndls and other fashionable estate looks and accessories.

And the most important part, next to the music, which was provided by the fabulous big band of the Harmonie Brass, is of course the food.

Dancing to the Harmonie Brass Show Band

Kaiserschmarren, Schnitzel, sausages, and other delicious choices were enjoyed by many people of different background. There were more visitors this year than last year and the pavilion won a couple of awards for its fine effort to show off German home-grown culture.

The audience

And of course, where would we be without the Schuhplattlers from the S.T.V. Weiss-Blau Bayern.

The candle-light dance
O, yes - O, no
Schuhplattler
Audience participation

The next time we get together there is in August for the annual picnic. Hopefully the weather is good and we can enjoy each other’s company on the many newly donated picnic tables. See you at our table from Echo Germanica!

Swiss Celebration

The Consul General of Switzerland was hosting a reception at the occasion of the Swiss National Holyday at the elegant King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto. At the onset Consul General Bruno Ryff welcomed the guests and spoke of the many things that tie Switzerland and Canada together in business and the field of the arts and as people in general. Her especially welcomed MP Joe Volpe, Ontario’s Fairness Commissioner Jean Augustine, MPP Linda Jeffrey, City Counselor Mike Feldman and Adam Giambrone, also TTC Chairman, as well as Ass. Deputy Minister Richard Kohler, some of whom brought their own message to the podium.

Best of all, everyone thought, was the introduction of two Swiss Canadian ladies, both celebrating their 102^nd birthday this year. Both of them, Martina Bonomi and Bertha Modlich-Streuli still live independently and take largely care of themselves, which includes cooking! If longevity was an Olympic event they surely be taking away shiny medals, Mr. Ryff commented. We add our congratulations to his!

To round out the lunchtime affair with a fabulous buffet and generously stocked bar was the music of local alphorn player Eva Hajda, (905-273-5298, in case you want to book her for one of your events) who recently went back to Switzerland to take an advanced course in playing the difficult instrument.

We also met up with other wonderful and interesting people, like Dr. Arpad Sölter of the Goethe Institute, who has put German culture on Canada’s map in many ways previously unheard of. We met the ROM’s Department Head of World Cultures Dr. Krzysztof Grzymski, who is working on a German exhibit about which we will hear more in the near future.

There were many interesting people from commerce too, like Peter J. Schuermann of Redwell, a company that takes heating into the future with infrared radiant heat. At www.redwell.ca you can check out that technology can be beautiful as well as useful and environmentally friendly!

And of course we met with old friends of the Swiss community and enjoyed a bit of reminiscence over a glass of our favorite spritzer. All this certainly made us think of our old home back where…. And was a wonderful occasion to bond even further with friends in our new home.

• Kärntner Doppelsextett

• Via Salzburg Contest

• More Home Feelings

• Swiss Celebration