2007: Is There a Tenor in the House?

On October, 18, 2007, during a concert of Gerontius, star tenor, Ben Heppner was forced to leave the Orpheum at intermission with a flu-like illness that rendered him unable to perform. Tenor Peter Butterfield (pictured) who was attending the concert as an audience member, courageously jumped into the role of Gerontius for the second half of the Vancouver Symphony production.

1891: Opera House Opens

In February, 1891, when the population of Vancouver was only about 13,000, the Vancouver Opera House, built for the Canadian Pacific Railway, opened on Granville with 2,000 seats.

The first performance was the Emma Juch Grand English Opera Company. They were brought to Vancouver at a cost of $10,000 and performed Wagner's Lohengrin. In September, Sarah Bernhardt appeared in Fédora and La Tosca.
The Vancouver Opera House was located on the west side of Granville Street between Georgia and Robson, built by the C.P.R. adjacent to the first Hotel Vancouver, and owned by them until 1909. It could hold over 1,000 patrons in orchestra, gallery and box seating, and had a drop scene with a Canadian view of mountains (The Three Sisters) and the Bow River. Made in New York, the drop arrived in Vancouver by rail on two flatcars. Notably, electric lights were used as a replacement for gas lighting. Evening dress was required for both men and women, and Hansom cabs took patrons to the door; for those returning by streetcar, the whole system would be held past its usual 11 p.m. closing time until the audience came out. Until 1912, it served as the city's principal theatre for touring companies and important solo performers.

Taken from Encore! Encore! Online Dance Exhibition

1861: Richmond Island Named After "Sweet" Singer

In 1861 Col. Richard Moody of the Royal Engineers named Lulu Island in Richmond in honor of 16-year-old singer Lulu Sweet, a visiting member of a touring San Francisco musical revue.

1969: Early Music Society Formed

The Vancouver Early Music Society was formed by Jon Washburn, Ray Nurse, David Skulsky, Hans-Karl Piltz and Cuyler Page. Its purpose was and is “to foster interest in medieval, renaissance, and baroque music.”

1969: The Poppy Family Reach No. 2

Terry Jacks and The Poppy Family had a smash hit (it reached #2 in the US) with Which Way You Goin' Billy?

The Poppy Family, made up of Susan and Terry Jacks, had a number of hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Where Evil Grows, That's Where I Went Wrong and Which Way You Goin' Billy? The latter tune reached No. 1 in Canada and sold 2.5 million copies worldwide.

Susan (born 1948 nee Pesklevits - Saskatoon, Sask), eventually left Terry (Seasons in the Sun) and set off on a solo career that showed promise until problems arose with her record label. Jacks is now a businesswoman in Nashville.