John Beckwith

John Beckwith studied at Toronto University and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and served as a teacher in Toronto. He was music critic and columnist for the Toronto Star. A prolific composer, his work included ballets, chamber operas, and choral pieces. Many of his later works were collage pieces that utilize text and theatre as well as music. This method of composition was evident in the series Canada Dash, Canada Dot, commissioned by the CBC. Beckwith insisted he was not a nationalist. However, he consistently wrote from his home in southern Ontario and stated that "I believe in the importance of environment, local colour, 'accent.' Music ... achieves universality at least partly through loving care and attention paid to these things." John Beckwith died December 5, 2022 while in treatment for pneumonia at a hospital in Toronto. He was 95 years of age. ~ Lynn Vought