Review: Room 217
posted on February 1, 2010 in In Song | 
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Room 217
CD series: Music for Life’s Journey
Produced by Carmon Barry and Bev Foster at Emmanuel Recording Studios, Toronto.
Room 217 is a series of CDs designed to offer musical comfort to people suffering illness or facing death, and to those who care for them. This project, initiated, developed and produced by pianist and composer, Bev Foster, has many facets. Besides the music itself, it is a charitable foundation which helps to fund training of frontline care providers in using music in their care, and promotes creative research in music and patient care. The CDs have such titles as Gentle Waters, Spirit Wings and Celtic Whisperings.
Bev Foster, a busy pianist and a composer, is music director at Church of the Ascension Anglican in Port Perry, Ont. As Foster tells it, the project has its beginnings in her family’s experience with her father, dying of level four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in room 217 at the Uxbridge Cottage Hospital in 2000. Music had always provided a deep connection between them, and singing and listening to music together helped ease the pain of saying goodbye.
And what about the music itself? My iTunes programme calls it “easy listening,” which it is: gentle, with the dynamic rarely rising louder than a midrange, and tempo from medium to slow. The music is meditative, with a romantic phrasing and pop harmony. In a way it is like the presence of a caregiver, or a minister or rabbi: skilled in helping when needed, but able to slip into the background as soon as his or her presence is not necessary. It is thankfully not sugar-coated with studio sweetening. What sets this project apart is solid playing and firm musicianship of Foster and her colleagues, including Wendy Solomon (harp) and Rob Piltch (acoustic guitar).
The repertoire crosses religious, and other cultural and sectarian boundaries. Jewish Prayer by Ernest Block is presented side-by-side with How Great Thou Art, and Sunrise, Sunset is there, along with In My Life.
Fraser McKee said,
CHURCH MUSIC:
The sub-note on the cover of the February “Record” struck an odd note: “Why The Music…No Longer Inspires,” and the whole series in the issue was well done, indicating it cartianly can inspire. Maybe the problem is the selection of music? Now we’re back to the old argument of the traditional vs. the new to gain potential newcomers. I know of few that come solely because the church has selected “modern” hymns; but know of several who left because the old ones have been dropped in lieu. Tough to prove, except the latter is indeed factual. So it’s emphasis, one would guess.
When I was working in Montreal in the late 1950′s, Rev’d. Rawson of St. James United Church had lunch gatherings for some 60 businessmen, which included at least one of the well known cross-denominational hymns (plus a brief appropriate sermon and good lunch!) If he felt we were not singing his selection properly, he stopped us, pointed out our transgressions and began again.. forcefully! As the naval gunnery section said “GET IT RIGHT!!”
In the spring there was an all-comers evening service, plus wives, and you ain’t heard nothing (outside a Wales/England footba’ match)until you’ve heard 250 or more Canadian men singing Cwm Rondda under his direction. “Guide me, oh Thou great Jehova” indeed!” And we were all there voluntarily, noon-time and that annual service.
It’s not what it is, but how it’s used.
Fraser McKee
Glenview Presbyterisn, Toronto
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