Peter Dent Jazz Pianist, Composer, Choral Arranger, Choir Conductor

PETER DENT - RETIRED

This website will soon collapse. At this time in my life, I have no further need to advertise as I have “officially” retired from making music. I am indebted to my good friend, John Coulthard who has maintained this website for many years.

Originally, I was going to list all of all those who have helped me on my musical journey. But find this task so daunting that I can only highlight some who have helped me through the many high points of this journey.

All of my formal jazz piano studies were with the late Bob Doyle in 1970 and again in 1992. He was the man that showed me the art of chord substitutions.

I had limited compositional training but really appreciated the knowledge of Fred Stride with whom I studied at UBC. I composed 2 lengthy choral works. A JAZZ MASS (1993) and A CANADIAN REQUIEM (2004)

Singers with whom I worked included the incredible Lorraine Foster, the late Sibel Thrasher and Robert “Marcus” Mosely. World-class sidemen included Dave Young, Terry Clarke, and Neil Swainson, Jimmy Wightman, Stan”Cuddles” Johnson, Stew Barnett and Donnie Clark. I recorded 3 CD’s as leader, one joint release and was a side player on 3 more. In 2024 with help of the great pianist and bassist from Vancouver, Miles Black, I recorded many of my original compositions for posterity. I had the privilege of working with the Big Bands of Mark Kenney, Dal Richards and the Preservation of Swing Band.

My first gig was in the Bewdley legion playing in a country Band with the late Jim and Isobel Waterbury. in third year University, I played for a year in the Place Pigalle, a pub on Avenue Road in Toronto. When I got to Vancouver I played country music again in a Veterans Club. I was hired to play at the Penthouse Strip Club in 1969. Throughout the years I have played in all Canadian Provinces except Manitoba and Newfoundland, in Prague and Northampton and in California. As a travelling player, I did gigs in Saskatoon, on the Rocky Mountaineer at Christmas in the late 1990s, in Jamaica (where I also taught at the Edna Manley College in 2007-2008).

I sang in several choirs. In my youth I was in the Port Hope United Church Choir and the High School Glee Club. At university, I was a member of the York University Choir and the University of Guelph Madrigal Singers. Concurrently, I spent 2 years in the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Both the University Choir and the Mendelssohn Choir performed at Expo ’67. As an adult, I sang for over 20 years in the Vancouver Bach Choir (1969 –1991) While in the Bach Choir, I formed an a cappella jazz Choir, “Home Made Jam”. Of the members, I remember fondly the late Sandy Fast, the late Charlie Burtinshaw, the late Myron Balagno, and Jane Coates. I also led a folk singing group, the Billy Bishop Singers which travelled extensively in the early 1980’s performing at labour rallies in BC, Washington State and at historical seminars on the union folk song tradition. In 1993, with the encouragement of a member of the Unitarian Church, I founded a group called Jazz Etc. which I left after 4 years. Choral singing gave me several opportunities to travel. Twice to Expo 67. once to Holland, Eastern Canada, Britain, Japan, and twice to Mexico.

Transitioning to conducting, I joined the Vivaldi Chamber Choir in 1992 - 1998. I had the pleasure of founding and conducting the Pacific Singers (1998 – 2003). Relocating to Vancouver Island, I directed Coro Galiano (2004 – 2009), The Newcombe Singers (2009 – 2020), Ekoos (2012 - 2017, and the Arion Male Voice Choir (2010 – 2019).

Of the many choral conductors from whom I learned, 3 stood out: Jim Fankhauser of UBC, the late Simon Streatfeild, and Bruce Pullan.

With great luck and a little hard work, I was able to start and operate 2 lengthy travel choral projects: one to the Czech Republic which began in 1998 and ended in 2024. I am indebted to Michal Svarc and Petra Skorepova for their expert organizing skills and deep friendship for over a quarter century. I also thank Ann McNamee who was our accompanist for many of the trips. The second was to Cuba which started in 2006 and ended in 2024 as well. I could not have made this project possible without the professional help of pianist Jorge Williams and his band, Sonora Jibacoa.

Today, I confine myself to playing and recording with violinist Robert Dukarm with whom I have to date issued 3 recordings on-line.
www.robertjandukarm.com

Many who are not named have been with me on this musical journey. But my wife, Dorothy Harvey has been my rock since 1995.

In the words of the great Mel Blanc... “Th-th-that’s all, Folks!”

Not quite all…..

As I think about it, I am indebted to the aforementioned Michal and Petra for arranging some extraordinary venues in which I conducted: they are St. Nicholas Hussite Church on the Old Town Square in Prague, Stephans Dom in Vienna, St. Stephens Cathedral in Budapest, The Berliner Dom in Berlin and The Nikolai Kirche and the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Far better conductors than I can only dream of these experiences. In the late 1990s, I was a paid choral singer at both Christ Church Cathedral and St. Andrews’ Wesley both in Vancouver. From the organists Rupert Land and Darryl Nixon, I was introduced to an incredible variety of music and given and opportunity to perform my 2 large choral works. Amazing experiences.

For much of my later choral travel projects, I was helped by Martina Peladeau, a great travel agent and friend.