I don't usually include private events on my gig calendar, and certainly not memorial services, but this is a special exception, as I know many of my friends and colleagues would want to attend.
David Ford was the head of music at North Toronto C.I. for three decades, as well as being a huge part of Toronto's All-City Orchestra, National Music Camp of Canada, East York Symphony, and Kiwanis Music Festival. He was one of my first musical mentors, always pushing me to do better and celebrating my accomplishments.
A number of strings alumni will be coming together under the baton of Ivars Taurins and with Joyce Lai as concertmaster to play for the service. Dorothy Lawson (ETHYL) will be flying in from New York to play Fauré's Elegie, and we'll also be playing music by Elgar and Grieg – probably through a few tears.
I am looking forward to seeing and playing with some of my former classmates again, but I keep catching myself believing I'll be playing with David again as well. Perhaps he will, in fact, be joining in on cello.
Please visit https://mountpleasantgroup.permavita.com/site/DavidParkFord.html for his obituary and memorial details, and to sign the guestbook.