James Colbeck
James Colbeck
An alumnus of both the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) and the Opera School at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music, James trained as a singer with the late George Lambert and Howell Glynne, as a director with the late Herman Geiger-Torel, Peter Ebert, Leon Major, and Sonja Frissell, and as a stage designer with Brian Jackson. Serving as Assistant Director with both the Augsburg Stadttheater and the Canadian Opera Company, Colbeck had the privilege of directing the Christmas classic, Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, in association with both the Hamilton Symphony and the Nova Scotia Symphony Orchestras and Stravinsky's The Soldier’s Tale with a chamber ensemble from the Hart House Orchestra. A favourite work was Poulenc's chamber piece, La Voix Humaine, which was paired with Gian Carlo Menotti's The Telephone in a studio presentation at Scarborough College. Still rich in memory was his production of Brigadoon with Garden City Productions of St. Catharines. He had received a Canada Council grant in 1969 which enabled him to further his training and provide practical working opportunities at such British and German opera companies as the Scottish Opera (Glasgow), the Glyndebourne Opera Festival, and the Augsburg Opera.
Since 1947, James has participated in many choirs under such choral directors as John Lovitt, Douglas Elliot, Dr. David Ouchterlony, and Ian Sadler. For twenty-five years, while living in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, he was a member of the Yarmouth Shantymen, a group known for its rendering of traditional work songs of the tall ships era. Currently he is a member of the Stratford Concert Choir and the St. James' Anglican Church Choir, and has sung with the Cathedral Singers of Ontario on two separate occasions when that group has traveled to England to sing at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Following two years as the general manager of Ontario Youtheatre (1970 to 1972), for which he supervised the establishment of sixteen regional summer programs from Kenora to Cornwall, James was invited to move with his family from Toronto to Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1973 where he founded Theatre Antigonish, now celebrating its fortieth anniversary. During his years developing that theatre and serving as the professor of theatre for St. Francis Xavier University, he directed both My Fair Lady and Oliver! among a host of other productions. He was appointed Dean of Performing Arts at George Brown College while back in Toronto for a year's Leave of Absence.
As an innovator, James is known locally for establishing the Stratford Garbage Can Decorating Competition, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2015 as a featured event of the annual Green Week here in Stratford. And more recently, he has had the joy with representatives of eight local community music groups of initiating the Stratford Community Music Calendar.
Since 1947, James has participated in many choirs under such choral directors as John Lovitt, Douglas Elliot, Dr. David Ouchterlony, and Ian Sadler. For twenty-five years, while living in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, he was a member of the Yarmouth Shantymen, a group known for its rendering of traditional work songs of the tall ships era. Currently he is a member of the Stratford Concert Choir and the St. James' Anglican Church Choir, and has sung with the Cathedral Singers of Ontario on two separate occasions when that group has traveled to England to sing at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Following two years as the general manager of Ontario Youtheatre (1970 to 1972), for which he supervised the establishment of sixteen regional summer programs from Kenora to Cornwall, James was invited to move with his family from Toronto to Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1973 where he founded Theatre Antigonish, now celebrating its fortieth anniversary. During his years developing that theatre and serving as the professor of theatre for St. Francis Xavier University, he directed both My Fair Lady and Oliver! among a host of other productions. He was appointed Dean of Performing Arts at George Brown College while back in Toronto for a year's Leave of Absence.
As an innovator, James is known locally for establishing the Stratford Garbage Can Decorating Competition, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2015 as a featured event of the annual Green Week here in Stratford. And more recently, he has had the joy with representatives of eight local community music groups of initiating the Stratford Community Music Calendar.
