CHRISTMAS IN GRAVENHURST

THE VIBE IS A GOOD ONE - BUT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S THERE - IT'S JUST AN OLD BUILDING AFTER ALL - THE OPERA HOUSE

IT ISN'T A PREREQUISITE THAT YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS. IT'S NOT PARTICULARLY RELEVANT WHETHER YOU ARE DEEPLY RELGIOUS, OR FOR THAT MATTER, HAVE FAITH IN ANYTHING BUT YOUR OWN DIMENSION. YOUR OWN WAY OF DEALING WITH THE REALITIES OF EACH WAKING MOMENT. WHEN YOU SLEEP, WELL IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO DENY THE SLEEPLAND NYMPHS THEIR FOLLY. SENSING ONE'S SURROUNDINGS, AND BELIEVING IN WHAT YOUR INSTINCTS ARE TELLING YOU, ISN'T AS MUCH THE CASE OF PERFECT SCIENCE, AS IT IS THAT AMAZING QUALITY OF SENSORY PERCEPTION. LIKE I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, IT'S NOT WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS, OR EVEN KNOW WHAT THE PARANORMAL IS ALL ABOUT, BUT RATHER IF YOU BELIEVE IN POSSIBILITY AND POTENTIAL……..AND DON'T DISCREDIT EVERYTHING YOU EXPERIENCE….JUST BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A RATIONAL EXPLANATION. IF YOU WANT MORE OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION, WELL, YOU CAN DELVE INTO THE WORK OF AUTHOR C.S. LEWIS, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL QUALITIES AND QUANTITIES OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT!

OR WE THINK WE KNOW IT!!!

How about a little adventure? Got a couple of moments? If not, we'll meet again. If so, here we go!

I've been a collector over most of the past 56 years. If my mother was alive, God Rest Her Soul, she'd tell you about the afternoons I got home from school, in Burlington, with pockets loaded full of stuff I'd found on the way to and from my daily duty. It might have been chestnuts, golf balls, old bits of iron, a broken baseball bat, or hockey stick remnant. Merle would ask to see what I'd brought home, and of course, I'd only show her what was absolutely necessary. I ushered a lot of livestock past that threshold. The neighbors would hear the shrieks the next morning when Merle would accidentally find the pet toad or neat bug I'd snuck past her the day before.

I brought the stuff home, not because I was a hoarder……because I'm really not…..but due to the fact we had a small apartment, and I always had such big plans for a future in the collecting field, Merle didn't have much choice but to cull regularly. Andrew Currie is a chip off the old block. Robert is far more reserved as a collector than his brother. More like his modest and sensible-proportion mother Suzanne.

I have never really be able to explain fully, why I felt compelled to fetch "found" stuff home, even as kid, but there has always been an allure of some kind or another, that compels me to, at the very least, pay a few moments attention, to a piece or pieces I come across, emitting a wee vibe……something like "touch me…..you know you want to." Now before you think of me as pervert, I'm talking about antiques and collectibles here. And when I get the urge to touch a vintage flat-to-the-wall cupboard, or an antique cradle, by golly, I'm touching it. It's an attraction I've always suspected had something to do with previous owners, who in a spiritual sense, may still be attached to a cherished bit of furniture. In the paranormal field, of which I am very much involved, this isn't particularly usual. There has long been documentation about allegedly haunted cradles, rockers and yes, even a printing press, that once belonged to William Lyon Mackenzie, Upper Canada's legendary firebrand of the 1830's rebellion. It is housed in his restored house, in Toronto, and the press responsible for the Colonial Advocate, is said to have, on occasion, unfinished business. Resident staff, at times in the past, have awoken to hear the press in operation. It's not unusual to read about old pump organs that play by themselves, or toys that move, as if being played with, at times when no child is at hand. We have a few of those items.

It's not about haunting, or any kind of possession, that made me want to collect stuff. That's too simple an explanation. Yet there have been hundreds of items, I've come across in years of antique hunting, and auction going, that came into my possession because of the "vibes" that initially attracted me. Ghosts, like Casper, didn't jump out at me, or play malevolent games when I got them home. But they have a provenance none the less, that I wanted to be a part of…..if only for a short time.

As an example, as a public relations director for the Crozier Foundation, that was created shortly before Roger Crozier's death, I was responsible for the exhibits of the Bracebridge Sports Hall of Fame, which was afforded the town by the foundation, and Roger's desire to see local athletes recognized. He was born in Bracebridge. I had the cherished responsibility of acquiring hockey artifacts for the display. I had the rare opportunity of attending an auction, where some of Roger's game items from the 1960's Detroit years, were up for sale. On behalf of the Crozier Foundation, I was able to purchase Roger's 1965-66 goalie stick……which was actually a sliver of blade and a hand-smoothed and contoured shaft. You could actually hold the stick, as he would have, during that Detroit / Montreal final, that year, and feel precisely the place where his hand was situated. Keep in mind, this was his Conn Smythe Trophy win, that year. Also consider the fact goalie sticks were not replaced as often as they are today. This stick had been used over many, many exciting Original Six games, probably stopping shots from Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, and Bobby Orr. The stick was in the same locker room as Gordie Howe. For a hockey fan……and you don't have to believe in spirited anything……. you couldn't hold that stick, match your hand grip to the hollow where his hand wore away the wood, and not, in some magical moment, hear the crowd at the old Olympia Stadium, or hear the echo of Foster Hewitt calling the play by play.

While I had the stick in my possession, as curator, I used to pull it from the case on special occasions, such as during the Crozier Foundation Summer Skating Camp, and let the kids have a chance to experience the hockey artifact (we also had his mask and skates), up close and personal. I can tell you, it didn't take me telling them about any spirited stuff, for them to get that familiar "oh wow," buzz. It's just one of those ingrained things, that we employ enthusiastically, to celebrate our life experiences. I was always a curator, whether at Woodchester Villa, or at the Hall of Fame, who believed the "behind the glass stuff" should be put into the hands of "the passionate" as a learning tool. How can we learn about history without immersion? Books alone won't do it! You know, I really enjoyed seeing the kids' (and adults as well) expressions, holding the goalie stick or mask. Even though most didn't know much at all about Roger, outside of his name being attached to the Foundation, a little introduction by me, allowed them to put it in their own modern perception, of what it would be like to play in the National Hockey League. Andrew and Robert loved to engage this stuff, and well, they did have a front row seat. They also got a chance to handle Irvin "Ace" Bailey's skates and trophies, as both lads helped me with regular display changes.

OLD AMPS, OLD GUITARS, MANDOLINS AND DRUMS - ARE THEY THE VESSELS OF THE SPIRITS OF THE PAST?

We Curries don't spend a lot of time talking about paranormal this or that. The boys know I've been a long time ghost-sleuth, and they're mentioned frequently on my "Muskoka and Algonquin Ghosts blog site. But it's one of those things we don't get worked up about…..yet something that has a sensory relevance none-the-less. Possibly it's a sort of gift (my mother wouldn't have called it a gift…..more like a curse) that we are aware of these vibes of the past……attached to things we collect and use daily. When they began working toward a business in vintage instruments, Andrew and Robert carried this respect for provenance (maybe providential as well) with them…..to auctions, antique warehouses, malls, hole-in-the-wall collectible and music shops, looking high and low for pieces that spoke to them. It wasn't just about buying for profit. Geez, if we did that, we'd actually make lots more profit than we do. Like the collectors of fine art, they began looking at the history of a piece, whether an instrument, or an amplifier, concerning themselves with things like…..who owned this before….where did you get it……where is it from originally…..was it played on stage…..did it belong to a group, a band, a solo act……?

They used to drive antique dealers (who often sell old instruments) nuts, with the barrage of questions. They didn't just hand over the money. They wanted the stories to go with the pieces. It's more than likely, some of the antique folks blew them off with fanciful stories….with a lot less truth than they deserved. Old music shops, on the other hand, have owners with a keen sense of an instrument's history……like did it belong to Johnny Cash, or Hank Snow? It does matter, not just because of the celebrity factor, but because of the "stories within," each piece possesses…….to one respectful of such performance provenance……or call it patina (as antique dealers point out about richly seasoned furniture finishes). Andrew, in particular, came to respect this aspect, of tremendous influence, whether to buy an old amp or guitar…….half expecting, as the dreamer he is, that the essence, the spirit of past performers and all the venues it played, were somehow trapped in those vintage articles. I wasn't going to tell him he was misguided, considering how I lived my own life as a collector / dealer.

A few years into the process of collecting these old music artifacts, for the launching of an eventual vintage music shop, we watched a short news feature on television one night, about a world renowned musician, (I won't name here), who used to come into a guitar shop (when in town), looking for interesting pieces…..especially ones with provenance. Of considerable interest to this guitarist, were the vintage amplifiers…….that generated a sound that had that haunting "sort of possessed" legacy attached……still ringing of the exceptional play and performances of decades past. Crazy? I don't think so. Sensory perceptive? I believe so! This performer is by no means the only one to feel this inner spirit, still bouncing about, in the mysterious internal workings of old instruments, and amplifiers. Paranormal? Not really. But as if an alchemist built these early music relics, there are performers who have a very superstitious way of looking at these items….and how they fit into music heritage. Do they really think, that by using a guitar, once owned by Muddy Waters, will mean he's still very much playing along, from somewhere behind the strings, or within the orange-glowing old tubes of a battle-weary amplifier. I don't believe it's the case they believe these pieces are haunted……but rather "storied," and part of a culture of music milestones…..and therefore, possessing a sort of passed-down goodwill……like palming a four leaf clover your mother once stuck between the pages of an old and forgotten book. It brings back memories of dear old mom. It doesn't imply it is haunted. Yet it does have a vibe. A pleasant one. I can imagine this of a vintage guitar that has been hauled all over the earth, for performances or recreation, having the provenance ingrained, of some very intense and emotional moments. Like Roger's hockey stick, the musician with respect for this kind of history, won't have to discuss this vibe…….they'll just benefit from it! Ask Andrew about this, some time when visiting his shop. He's not a ghost hunter, but if he ran into one…..as he has (I'll let him tell you about that one), he'd probably engage it in conversation.

When the amazing Kreskin, attended an Opera House event, not so long ago, Andrew, working the show, had a chance at the end, to have a social moment or two with the legendary chap. In the course of conversation with others as well, her happened to mention his affection for the play of Canadian bandleader Paul Whiteman. Only the day before, Andrew was (the only one in the world at that moment), to have had the Paul Whiteman Trophy in his hand. Paul was such an admirer of hockey, and Irvin "Ace" Bailey, that he had a special trophy made for the Bracebridge-born star……that we had polished for the Hall of Fame the day before, during an exhibit change-over. Kreskin's attention was peaked, as he was also aware of Ace Bailey. We actually sent him an image of the Whiteman trophy the next day, to show him we weren't fooling about our own connection to Paul Whiteman. As he can read minds……maybe we read his…..who knows.

On one of the first blogs in this Christmas in Gravenhurst series, regarding the upcoming Night Before Christmas Show, on December 10th, at the Opera House, in support of the Salvation Army Food Bank, I told a story about the boys sitting up in the auditorium, looking at the precious old and "storied" stage……looking to be inspired about this year's show……well by golly, they found the "vibe" they were looking for. They always do. As a preamble to any show our family begins, the boys let the Opera House do the inspiring for them. They've not been disappointed yet. No, it's not about the fictional, very much invented apparition, some call "Ben" the love-lost techie who died there (no proof of this). The motivation they get from this enchanted place, is the same as they would find in the texture, feeling, and legacy of an old guitar……a violin, mandolin, or a beat-up old amplifier…..with a lot of service yet to provide. The mission of the show is to bring folks together to celebrate the Christmas season as a community. As we have done, in recent times, and is evident throughout the entire history of this community, the benefactors of this unity of performers, has been donations of food and cash to benefit those in need. Four us, it means a needed donation to the kind volunteers who keep the Food Bank doors open. It is our Merry Christmas celebration…..in the bosom of a fine building……with the echoes of the past still resonating about those wooden arches, like a sweetly singing violin.

In context, if you have read recent articles about a special guitar (spirited?), recently acquired by Canadian music star Murray Mclauchlan , used on his new CD release, it's true what they say. Andrew did sell it to Murray, although you won't see his name in any of the articles. As for claims it's kind of an enchanted piece……would you expect anything less…..at least if you appreciated what you've just read as being, well, somewhat true. It spoke to Andrew when he purchased it. Now it's a good vibe for someone else.

We're just big believers in history, plain and simple. Hope you can be part of it, on Saturday, December 10th, beginning at 7 p.m. Fred Schulz is once again our master of ceremonies. As former manager of the Opera House, he's the best host for an Opera House Christmas……in the final days of its 110th Anniversary (1901-2011).

More to come on the Opera House…….got to go and paint a bathroom right now, or I will be haunted by conscience. And Suzanne too!