Marjorie's Biography:
The Exciting Life of a Violinist, Violin Teacher, Music Researcher and Music Sleuth

Early Violin Studies

Marjorie was born in Vancouver, BC. She played the violin from the age of six to fifteen with a kindly, easy-going teacher, Edmund Osbaldeston, who came on the bus to the house, and who at the end of each lesson was served a snack and a cup of hot tea laced with a bit of port wine or sherry, instead of milk and sugar. From age 15 until entering university, Marjorie learnt scales and technique from Joy Calvert, herself a protege of two 19th and early 20th century greats; Eugene Ysaye, and Leopold Auer.

She received her Bachelor of Music degree, with a major in music history and a minor in violin, from the University of British Columbia in 1966. She has a Master of Arts degree (also in music history and violin) from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio (1968). Her violin teachers at UBC included Esther Glazer and Jack Kessler, and, at OSU, the esteemed husband and wife team, Roland and Almita Vamos.

As a young mother, Marjorie became interested in the Suzuki method of teaching music to very young children, thanks to mentoring from Suzuki pioneer teacher Marion Schreiber in Vancouver and Shinichi Suzuki in the USA. Her traditional violin lessons culminated with finishing touches from Christopher Kimber in Sydney Australia and from Taras Gabora of Montreal, and from her dear violinist friends, Paule Prefontaine and David Stewart.

Performing

As well as in BC and Ontario, Marjorie has played in symphony orchestras in Ohio, in Sydney Australia Auckland New Zealand. She has been a core member of the Nanaimo-based Vancouver Island Symphony for 22 years. She has also played in countless smaller music ensembles - from duos to quartets to septets, from salon ensembles to chamber orchestras. All in all, an extravaganza of scintillating music making!

Past Music History Research Projects

Marjorie worked for Dr. William Poland at the 'Centre for Experimental Research in the Arts' at Ohio State University. In Toronto, she researched Canadian folk music for the esteemed scholar of Canadian music history, Dr. Helmut Kallmann. Upon her return to BC, Marjorie transcribed and analyzed Nootka and Salish music for Folkways Recordings (N.Y.) with ethnomusicologist Dr. Ida Halpern in Vancouver.

Recent and Current Music Research Projects

Marjorie has been delving into the life and music of her great-uncle, the virtuoso violinist and composer, Haydn Wood (1882-1959). Her research partner, Gilles Gouset, though now no longer able to continue with the project, created detailed catalogues of Wood's compositions, recordings, and business letters (Wood's love letters are lost!). The tip of the iceberg of these findings are shared in www.haydnwoodmusic.com, where one can also see photos of the gamut of memorabilia marketed about his most enduring song, Roses of Picardy. In 2009 Gilles and Marjorie produced a CD of 24 of Haydn Wood's 200 or so ballads, sung by bass-baritone Shae Apland, accompanied by pianist Sharon Wishart, and with cameo performances by soprano Marissa Famiglietti and violinist Marjorie.

Currently, Marjorie is co-writing the booklet notes for an upcoming CD of Haydn Wood's orchestral music recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Gavin Sutherland. And most passionately, she is beavering away at writing a definitive book about the life and music of Haydn Wood.

Marjorie recently contributed photographs and details about Haydn's brother Harry Wood, "Manxland's King of Music," for an upcoming book written by Maurice Powell in the Island of Man.