Leonard Cohen Awarded the Ninth Glenn Gould Prize
An iconic and innovative force in songwriting, performance and poetry
Toronto, ON (April 1, 2011) - Singer, songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen has been awarded The Ninth Glenn Gould Prize. The international award is presented biennially to a living luminary who has made a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts and manifests the values of innovation, inspiration and transformation. A tribute to Glenn Gould's artistry and his multifaceted contributions to culture, the prize promotes the vital connection between artistic excellence and the transformation of lives.
"I want to thank The Glenn Gould Foundation for their kindness. It is a great honour, sweetened by my love of the work of Glenn Gould, and our collective appreciation of his invigorating and enduring presence in the world of Music and Imagination," stated Leonard Cohen.
Leonard Cohen was chosen from a distinguished list of international candidates nominated by the general public and will receive a cash prize of $50,000 (CDN) and the opportunity to choose an outstanding young artist to receive The City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize of $15,000 (CDN). Mr. Cohen and his protégé will receive their awards at a gala ceremony in Toronto and their work will be honoured through a series of public events later this year.
Jury Chair Paul Hoffert said, "The jury was unanimous in selecting Leonard Cohen as the Ninth Glenn Gould Prize laureate. His poetry and music transcend national boundaries and cultures by touching our common humanity. His unique voice is nonetheless the common voice of people around the globe telling our stories, expressing our emotions, reaching deeply into our psyches. Like Glenn Gould, his work touches audiences far outside his main genre. Hallelujah!"
The illustrious jury for the Ninth Glenn Gould Prize included singer/songwriter, indie producer and UN Goodwill Ambassador Dadawa (China); screenwriter, film and opera director Atom Egoyan (Canada); actor, screenwriter, author and director Stephen Fry (UK); celebrated pianist, teacher, author and music administrator Gary Graffman (United States); film producer, founder and director of DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art and PHI Group Phoebe Greenberg (Canada); singer, educator and vocal producer Elaine Overholt (Canada); and recording industry executive Costa Pilavachi (Canada/UK/Greece).
For four decades, Leonard Cohen has been one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, relentlessly examining the central issues in human experience, and reporting with passion, insight and wisdom. His body of work is a reflection of the zeitgeist of the late 20th century and beyond. His songs are works of great poetic depth and profound emotional force, and set new standards for quality, range and seriousness in pop music. Artists and music-lovers alike are drawn to the dignity, ambition and sheer power of his songs.
An accomplished literary figure before he began recording music in the late 1960s, his collections of poetry, including Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956) and Flowers for Hitler, and his novels including The Favourite Game (1963) and Beautiful Losers (1966), had already brought him considerable recognition. His dual careers in music and literature have continued feeding each other over the decades - his songs revealing a literary richness rare in the world of popular music, and his poetry and prose informed by an intense musicality. Collectively, Cohen has published 12 books including Book of Longing (2006), a collection of prose, poetry and drawings which was the first book of poetry to reach the top of Canada's bestsellers' lists, and which formed the basis of a memorable musical and theatre collaboration with composer Philip Glass which premiered at Toronto's Luminato festival.
Leonard Cohen is one of the most covered artists alive today, influencing generations of songwriters, and his music has earned the accolades of other artists in tribute albums in France, Norway, Canada, Spain, the Czech Republic, South Africa, and the United States. "Hallelujah", one of Cohen's best-known and best-loved songs has been covered by over 150 artists including Willie Nelson and Bono. Numerous documentaries, awards, and tribute albums acknowledge the far-reaching contribution Cohen has made to music. He continues to refine and deepen his art, and as a musician he is constantly exploring new territory.
The Glenn Gould Foundation honours Glenn Gould's spirit and legacy by celebrating brilliance, promoting creativity and transforming lives through the power of music and the arts with the Foundation's signature activities, including The Glenn Gould Prize. Past laureates include Dr. José Antonio Abreu (2008), founder of El Sistema, Venezuela's free music education program for children and youth, Pierre Boulez (2002), Oscar Peterson (1993) and Yo-Yo Ma (1999). For more information on the foundation, prize and jurors visit www.glenngould.ca.
Leonard Cohen wins Glenn Gould Prize
National Post
- April 1, 2011 by Melissa Leong
A prestigious jury of artists, including Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan and British actor Stephen Fry, met at Massey College Thursday to decide who out of more than 60 international candidates should receive the so-called "Nobel Prize of the arts."
The jury unanimously chose Canadian poet, novelist and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen to be the ninth Glenn Gould Prize laureate.
"It is a great honour, sweetened by my love of the work of Glenn Gould, and our collective appreciation of his invigorating and enduring presence in the world of music and imagination," Cohen, 76, said in a written statement.
The award is handed out every other year to a living artist who has made a unique lifetime contribution that has "enriched the human condition through the arts and manifests the values of innovation, inspiration and transformation," a press release says.
The Montreal-born Cohen did not attend the Friday announcement but all of the jury members were present at the Royal Conservatory of Music, including Chinese singer and UN Goodwill Ambassador Dadawa and recording industry executive Costa Pilavachi.
"I'm quite bewildered. I thought we had agreed that Justin Bieber was getting it," Fry quipped. "Seriously, I was 10 years old when Songs of Leonard Cohen came out ... We all agreed that one of the most remarkable things about his extraordinary art is how it has become richer and deeper and more extraordinary every decade."
Cohen is one of the most covered artists alive; Hallelujah has been covered by more than 150 artists including Willie Nelson and Bono. Cohen was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, the year that brought him back to the stage for the first time in 15 years. Before he began recording music in the late 1960s, he was recognized for his collections of poetry and his novels.
"We all felt very passionate about it," Egoyan said of the jury's decision. "He's had a huge influence on my work."
Egoyan used one of Cohen's best-known songs, Everybody Knows, as the centerpiece of his 1994 film, Exotica. "When I was making that film, we didn't have the budget. I remember contacting Universal and realizing that we couldn't afford it. Thanks to the personal intervention of Mr. Cohen, we were able to use that song. It was really generous of him."
Gary Graffman, celebrated pianist and author, told the 200 people assembled at the press conference that he is the only jury member who knew Gould. They spent some time together in Berlin in the 1950s. "I know he would've been delighted by this choice," the 82-year-old said. "[Cohen] was uncompromising as Glenn Gould was."
Cohen will receive $50,000 and will designate a young artist to receive the City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protege Prize of $15,000. Past laureates include cellist Yo-Yo Ma, jazz musician Oscar Peterson and Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu, founder of El Sistema, Venezuela's free music education program for at-risk youth. A pilot project based on El Sistema is launching in Toronto this fall.
Star-studded roster honours Leonard Cohen at Glenn Gould Prize Gala on May 14th
Cowboy Junkies, John Prine, Adam Cohen among musicians performing
Leonard Cohen will appear to accept his award
Toronto, ON (April 10, 2012) - An eclectic group of musicians and artists will perform in honour of iconic singer, songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen, the Ninth Laureate of The Glenn Gould Prize, on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. at Toronto's Massey Hall (178 Victoria Street). Mr. Cohen will be present to receive his award at this ceremony.
Tickets to The Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert in Honour of Leonard Cohen go on sale to the general public on April 12 at 11:00 a.m.
Billed as The Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert in Honour of Leonard Cohen, the star-studded evening is hosted by Colm Feore and includes musical performances by Cowboy Junkies, Adam Cohen, Serena Ryder, folk singer Basia Bulat, award-winning country singer/songwriters John Prine, James McMurtry, Jimmie Dale Gilmore; and poetry readings by Gordon Pinsent with Greg Keelor (Blue Rodeo) and Travis Good (the Sadies). Former Governor General and long-time friend, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson will also deliver a spoken tribute.
The Glenn Gould Prize, valued at $50,000 (CDN), has been referred to as "The Nobel Prize of the Arts" and is awarded biennially to a living individual for a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts. After accepting his Prize, Mr. Cohen will present The City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize of $15,000 (CDN) to an outstanding young artist of his choice.
A master songwriter, musician, poet, novelist and visual artist, Leonard Cohen's stunning body of original work has touched the lives of millions with a career spanning six decades. His dual careers in music and literature have continued fueling each other over the decades - his songs revealing a literary richness rare in the world of popular music, and his poetry and prose informed by an intense musicality. Cohen's Book of Longing (2006), a collection of prose, poetry and drawings, was the first book of poetry to reach the top of Canada's bestsellers' lists, and formed the basis of a memorable musical and theatre collaboration with composer Philip Glass.
Leonard Cohen is one of the most covered artists alive today, influencing generations of songwriters, and his music has earned the accolades of other artists in tribute albums in France, Norway, Canada, Spain, the Czech Republic, South Africa, and the United States. "Hallelujah", one of Cohen's best-known and best-loved songs has been covered by over 150 artists including Willie Nelson and Bono. His music has been extensively featured in films and on television. Numerous documentaries, awards, and tribute albums acknowledge the far-reaching contribution Cohen has made to music. He continues to refine and deepen his art, and as a musician he is constantly exploring new territory.
Regarding his Glenn Gould Prize, Mr. Cohen stated, "I want to thank The Glenn Gould Foundation for their kindness. It is a great honour, sweetened by my love of the work of Glenn Gould, and our collective appreciation of his invigorating and enduring presence in the world of Music and Imagination."
Tickets to The Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert in Honour of Leonard Cohen go on sale to the general public on April 12 at 11:00 a.m. and are available by calling 416- 872-4255 or online at masseyhall.com or roythomson.com. Proceeds from the gala concert support the ongoing work of The Glenn Gould Foundation.
Prior to the Gala Concert, a celebratory dinner will be hosted at the newly renovated Arcadian Court. Tickets are available online at vipgouldprize.eventbrite.ca or by calling 416-962-6200.
The Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert and Dinner preface the 80th anniversary of Glenn Gould's birth on September 25, 2012, which will be marked by major commemorative events across Canada and around the world honouring this Canadian icon's enduring contribution to music and global culture.
The Glenn Gould Foundation honours Glenn Gould's spirit and legacy by celebrating brilliance, promoting creativity and transforming lives through the power of music and the arts with the Foundation's signature activities, including The Glenn Gould Prize. The international award is presented biennially to a living luminary who has made a unique lifetime contribution through the arts. The Foundation seeks to use the prize to stimulate projects of social impact and significance, as is reflected in its motto: From Celebration to Inspiration to Transformation. Nominations for the prize are made by the general public and a laureate is subsequently chosen by an international panel of judges who convene in Toronto for deliberations. A tribute to Glenn Gould's artistry and his multifaceted contributions to culture, the prize promotes the vital connection between artistic excellence and the transformation of lives. Past laureates include Dr. José Antonio Abreu (2008), founder of El Sistema, Venezuela's free music education program for children and youth, Pierre Boulez (2002), Oscar Peterson (1993) and Yo-Yo Ma (1999). For more information on the foundation, prize and laureates visit www.glenngould.ca.
Media Contact:
Karen Lorenowicz, KL Strategic Communications, 416-347-9661, karen.l@sympatico.ca
"Leonard Cohen chooses Sistema Toronto as protégé"
Leonard Cohen has chosen Sistema Toronto, a program that offers free, intensive music education to children from culturally diverse neighbourhoods, to share in his Glenn Gould Prize.
The Montreal singer, artist, poet and writer will receive the $50,000 Glenn Gould Prize for lifetime achievement next week.
He will also present representatives from Sistema Toronto the corresponding $15,000 Protégé Prize, which is funded by the city of Toronto.
Sistema Toronto began its work in the Toronto school system in 2011, after a group of Canadian music educators were inspired by the El Sistema system created by Venezuelan economist, politician, educator and musician Jose Antonio Abreu.
In 2009, the Glenn Gould Foundation presented Abreu with the Glenn Gould Prize in Toronto, where he spoke about how the system helps poor Venezuelan children escape poverty and violence. One of the system's most prominent graduates is superstar conductor Gustavo Dudamel, now music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
In Toronto, the music students work with professional artists and teachers for two hours at the end of every school day. Sistema Toronto artistic director David Visentin calls the program a powerful tool to shape young lives.
"There is no telling how powerful this impact will be in future years," he said in a statement.
"By awarding the children of Sistema Toronto the collective honour of being named the City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégés, Leonard Cohen is giving much more than a prize. He is instilling hope, awakening dreams and he is challenging talent to reveal itself in the years to come."
Music-filled gala
On May 14, Cohen's accomplishments will be celebrated with a gala at Massey Hall in Toronto. The event will feature performances by musicians such as Basia Bulat, the Cowboy Junkies, James McMurtry, Serena Ryder, Anjani Thomas and Cohen's son Adam. Free events, including an exhibit of Leonard Cohen's artwork, are also taking place this week.
Cohen was named winner of the Glenn Gould Prize in 2011. Dubbed the "Nobel Prize of the Arts" by some, the Gould Prize is awarded biennially to "an individual for a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts."
"One of the most remarkable things about his extraordinary career is how it has become richer and deeper as each decade passed," said British writer and filmmaker Stephen Fry, who sat on the international jury that chose Cohen as winner.
Cohen had a bestseller with his 2006 poetry collection Book of Longing and topped music charts throughout Europe earlier this year with his most recent album, Old Ideas.
"Cohen celebrates Cohen"
Toronto Sun by Jane Stevenson, May 10, 2012
Son Adam thrilled to be honouring dad Leonard at Massey Hall gala
TORONTO - Adam Cohen is thrilled to be among those artists honouring his father, Montreal singer-songwriter-poet-novelist Leonard Cohen, at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on Monday night.
It wasn't always the case.
After trying to forge his own musical path, including as a pop rocker in the band Low Millions, the junior Cohen more recently embraced his folk-poet lineage on his latest solo album, 2011's Like a Man.
"I'm very happy to have been invited in what is becoming a very pleasing trend to me and that is this deepening recognition for my father's career and contribution to music and song," said Adam down the line from his L.A. home.
"And generally I've been known to decline offers to participate in tributes like this, but recently my professional life has been characterized by embracing these kinds of tributes and wanting to celebrate my father, inwardly and publicly, professionally and privately, and so this was a great opportunity."
The junior Cohen, 39, wanted to keep the song he's going to perform a secret but allowed that among his favourites written by his father are Take This Waltz, So Long, Marianne, Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye, Field Commander Cohen, and Love Itself.
Cohen, 77, who is receiving the $50,000 Glenn Gould Prize, will be feted by an impressive lineup including Jimmie Dale Gilmore, folk singer Basia Bulat, Adrienne Clarkson, Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor with Gordon Pinsent and Travis Good, Anjani Thomas, John Prine, Michael Ondaatje, James McMurtry, Melissa Auf der Maur, Cowboy Junkies, Alan Rickman, Serena Ryder, and the evening's host, Colm Feore.
"I'm always worried about how long these events are but I'm most worried about it from the standpoint of my father in the audience. Poor guy, he has to sit through that whole thing," joked Adam. "I might put a sleeping pill in his water bottle and have his handlers just wake him up for my segment. That's too long. As a sign of rebellion I might drop out of this thing to make it a couple of minutes shorter! We'll have to time the pill very carefully."
Both Cohens are actually touring Canada separately this year -- Leonard's new album Old Ideas just came out earlier this year -- but Adam said not to ever rule out them going on the road together one day.
"It's not out of the question," he said. "My interest is in protecting his interest and his show is already three and a half hours long, on average. It's an incredibly generous show and I'm not certain that me either opening for him or appearing on stage would be any more generous. I actually bugger off to a tour of Korea (after the Massey Hall concert) so I'm happy I'll be seeing him the day before I leave."
"James McMurtry: Leonard Cohen as an inspiration and a romantic aid"
Toronto Star by Garnet Fraser, May 11, 2012
A quarter-century ago, "First We Take Manhattan" became a minor pop hit and spurred a resurgence in the career of Canadian songwriting legend Leonard Cohen. Down in Texas, it did fellow songsmith James McMurtry a favour or two as well.
"I was dating a lady that liked to have sex with it on," the veteran roots musician recalls drily on the phone from Austin, before flying to Toronto to perform at Monday's gala tribute to Cohen.
"It did rather lodge in my memory: the lyrics and the delivery as well, the way he phrased, and the production. It was right for what he was doing, it turned into this sort of whisper from God."
One suspects that the frankly, tastefully libidinous Cohen would approve of the manner of his breakthrough with McMurtry, though it was a while in coming. "The first of Leonard's stuff that I heard was 'Suzanne,' because my father had a 45 record of it which he played incessantly, so I didn't care much for the guy."
It's natural to see why Larry McMurtry, respected novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner for Lonesome Dove, would be drawn to Cohen's lyric, often wry, naughty and profound in the same verse. Eventually, his son, now a gifted 50-year-old songwriter with eight studio albums under his belt, came to understand. He likens the 77-year-old Cohen to another of his idols, Kris Kristofferson: "Either of their lyrics, you can sing 'em or you can talk 'em, with equal effect."
(A sample of those lyrics: They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom/ For trying to change the system from within/ I'm coming now, I'm coming to reward them/ First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin . . .)
Many will get their crack at Cohen songs at Monday's gala at Massey Hall. His son Adam Cohen, Canadian musicians Cowboy Junkies, Serena Ryder, and Basia Bulat, as well as John Prine and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. There will be a speech by Adrienne Clarkson, poetry readings by Alan Rickman and Michael Ondaatje, as well as Gordon Pinsent creating songs out of Cohen's poetry with Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor and Travis Good of the Sadies.
It's not the first tribute to Cohen on McMurtry's part; the final track on his 2008 album Just Us Kids is entitled "You'd A' Thought (Leonard Cohen Must Die)" -- a tribute, he says, to the distracting power of Cohen's music to wreak havoc on McMurtry's productivity.
Now the Texan will fly to Toronto for the sole purpose of performing one Cohen song, "Closing Time" -- among his favourites, with "First We Take Manhattan" and "The Future" -- at the gala. If that seems like a long trip for a small task, he doesn't mind.
"I'm mostly looking forward to being in Toronto in May. The first time I was ever there was in May and it was like party. It was the first warm day of the year, everybody hit the streets and everybody was in a good mood."
"Adam Cohen honoured 'to give proper due' to dad Leonard"
CBC, May 14, 2012
Canadian music legend Leonard Cohen is being feted in Toronto Monday night with a star-studded tribute featuring a host of musicians, including his singer-songwriter son, Adam.
Held at Toronto's historic Massey Hall, the gala will celebrate the venerable Montreal poet, singer and author as the latest recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize.
Described by some as the "Nobel Prize of the Arts," the award is presented biennially to "an individual for a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts."
"Telling somebody [during their] lifetime what you actually think of them, instead of waiting for the obituary and saying 'Oh, he was a swell guy,' -- you know, that in itself is an honour. That's an honour for you to be able to give proper due to somebody," the younger Cohen said of his father's latest accolade.
"Although I've always had a healthy, large and deep admiration for my father, I haven't demonstrated his influence on me and celebrated him outwardly until late in my life," he told CBC News on Monday.
"It's a very rewarding activity to give praise where praise is due, to give praise where praise is welcome. And when it's not too late."
The event will also honour music education program Sistema Toronto, which Cohen chose to share in his Gould Prize win as recipient of the corresponding Protégé Prize.
The younger Cohen, whose recent albumLike a Man was somewhat of an homage to his father's style, will perform some of Leonard's songs at Monday's event.
Other performers will include by Basia Bulat, the Cowboy Junkies, James McMurtry, Serena Ryder and Anjani Thomas.
"These are people who have been touched by his work," the younger Cohen said. "These are people who want to celebrate my father's influence on them, and there's nothing more beautiful and honest and simple than that."
Cohen is set to embark on a North American tour to support his latest album, Old Ideas, this fall.
"Leonard Cohen's career to be honoured with Glenn Gould Prize"
CTV by CTVNews.ca Staff, May 14, 2012
After six decades of making music and poetry on his own terms, 77-year-old icon Leonard Cohen will be honoured in Toronto on Monday, where he will receive the Glenn Gould Prize for his contribution to the arts.
"For years he would decline anything like this," the elder Cohen's son, singer Adam Cohen told CTV's Canada AM.
"He's not much for participating in celebrations of his own works or his own life," Cohen said in an interview Monday.
Known for the distinctive, moody lyricism in songs such as "Suzanne," "So Long, Marianne," and "Dance Me to the End of Love," Cohen will become the ninth recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize.
The international award and the $50,000 prize that accompanies it are bestowed by the Glenn Gould Foundation in memory of Canadian pianist, Glenn Gould.
Monday's gala at Toronto's Massey Hall will include tributes from some of the biggest names in the arts, such as English actor Alan Rickman, novelist Michael Ondaatje, Juno-winning singer-songwriter Serena Ryder, as well as Blue Rodeo's singer-songwriter Greg Keelor, actor Gordon Pinsent and singer Travis Good.
The celebration for one of the most covered recording artists alive will also be hosted by actor Colm Feore, star of the Bravo miniseries, "The Borgias."
Feore and Cowboy Junkies singer Maro Timmins joined Adam Cohen to share their thoughts about the legendary singer's appeal on Monday's edition of Canada AM.
The veteran singer's latest album, "Old Ideas," was released in January of 2012 to good reviews.
Tonight's tribute, "Is about us getting the chance to say thanks for his music, his attitude and for his graciousness. He's taught us a lot," said Timmins.
"To be a good singer you have to have good songs. Leonard Cohen has always offered good songs," the 51-year-old singer said.
One of the best of Cohen's career, said Timmins, is the 1971 tune "Joan of Arc."
The song is built around a dialogue between Joan and the fire that consumers her, and lasts almost six-and-a-half minutes.
"For years I've been trying to figure out what it means," said Timmins.
"That's what a great song does. It intrigues you. It asks you to dig," she said.
"Hallelujah," another Cohen favourite, is frequently cited by singers and fans.
Originally released on Cohen's 1984 studio album "Various Positions," "Hallelujah" has been covered by some 200 artists in various languages.
It's been the subject of a BBC Radio documentary and has been featured in the soundtracks of numerous films and TV programs.
The song's success amused Cohen, as he once said in a radio interview in 2009 with the CBC. Ironically, Cohen's record company refused to publish the tune when he wrote it.
Years later, however, "Hallelujah" and others iconic tunes from Cohen's career have cemented his place in music's pantheon.
"He's massive. He's huge because he resonates simply, essentially with everyone," said Feore, who recently caught his own teenaged daughter humming Cohen's "Song of Bernadette."
"What the Glenn Gould Foundation is doing is establishing something like Nobel Prize for the arts," said Feore.
"There's a $50,000 prize and a $15,000 protégé prize. A lot of good can come from that," he said.
Honoree Cohen has chosen the music program Sistema-Toronto to receive the City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé $15,000 protégé prize.
Launched in 2011, Sistema-Toronto works in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board to offer free musical education to kids in the city's Parkdale neighbourhood.
The choice, as well as Cohen's reach across generations gives his 39-year-old son great satisfaction.
As a teen, Adam Cohen often wondered why the "old guy," as he called his father wasn't more popular. The passing years changed that perception.
"He's almost 78 and at the height of his artistic popularity," said son Cohen, who launched of his own music career in 1997.
"He's always been genuinely flattered to hear other people sing his songs," he said.
"Artists Take Leonard Cohen's Music to the Streets"
Torontoist by Brendan Ross, May 11, 2012. Photos by Dean Bradley
More than two dozen young Toronto musicians are playing the Lady's Man's songs on a downtown corner near you today and tomorrow.
From his books of poetry and fiction, to his role in the 1960s folk-music scene, to his decades of haunting and iconic songs, Leonard Cohen is undoubtedly one of Canada's most prolific and beloved artists. This weekend, to celebrate the singer/songwriter winning the Glenn Gould Prize, more than 30 musicians are taking Cohen's music to the streets of Toronto.
Amy Nostbakken performs at the corner of University and Queen.
The impromptu concerts coincide with a week of events that culminates on Monday with a gala concert celebrating Cohen. Cohen is the ninth laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize, an international award established in 1987 to recognize people who have made a lifelong contribution to the arts.
This is the first time the Glenn Gould Foundation, the organization that administers the prize, is putting on such a large-scale public performance. The foundation's executive director, Brian Levine, says the decision came out of the popularity of Cohen's music and the desire to put young Canadian artists in the spotlight. "Given that there's such a widespread love for Leonard and his work, this provided a forum to not only express that across the community...but also as a way of helping to bring to light some really wonderful young talent."
Many of the musicians taking to the street today and tomorrow cite Cohen as a major influence for most of their lives. Oliver Pigott, one half of the acoustic pop duo The Pigott Brothers, performs near the Four Seasons Centre at University and Queen. He says he got into Cohen's music when, as a child, he heard "First We Take Manhattan," the opening track from Cohen's 1987 album Famous Blue Raincoat. "That affected me in a way I can't really elaborate on," he says. "Except to say it was a huge influence in my deciding to become a songwriter myself."
For Anna Jarvis, cellist for The Benefit of the Free Man, who performs this weekend at the corner of Avenue and Bloor, the introduction to Cohen came from her father, who used to play his music while they cooked dinner. "I now associate songs like 'So Long, Marianne' with chopping carrots and mincing garlic," she says.
Levine says Cohen's songs remain so popular partly because his lyrics tap into shared experiences, and partly because of the feeling at the core of the music. "There's a quality in some of his most popular songs, a hymn-like quality just in the melodic structure itself. And that's the kind of thing that really roots itself in the mind."
Singer-songwriter Brooke Harris, who performs under the name Gray and can be found this weekend at the Yorkville Parkette, is excited but a little nervous about playing Cohen's music. "He's a scary one to touch, because there are so many people that don't do him justice," she says. However, she is excited to take part in such a large-scale event. "Canada has some really incredible up-and-coming artists, the majority of whom we have no idea about. I think it's a chance to open more eyes and to share with the unsuspecting public music they've maybe never heard."
Danica Bucci performs at the Yorkville Parkette on Cumberland Street.
The Benefit of the Free Man perform at Avenue and Bloor.
Will Gillespie performs at Spadina and Queen.
Mark Martyre and Myke Mazzei perform at Soho and Queen.
Douglas Cameron performs outside the CBC building's Glenn Gould Studio.
Colin Gibson and Matthew Thompson perform at Nathan Phillips Square.
"The Glenn Gould Prize Salutes Leonard Cohen"
"Artworks by Leonard Cohen - Ninth Prize Celebrations"
The Glenn Gould Foundation, May 25, 2012. Photos by Eric Overton for The Glenn Gould Foundation.
Leonard Cohen has maintained a visual art practice for much of his musical and writing career. A free exhibition of 40 unique pieces was mounted in Brookfield Place for two weeks in the stunning Allen Lambert Galleria. Photos by Eric Overton for The Glenn Gould Foundation.
"Leonard Cohen Artworks at Brookfield Place"
The long hall of the Brookfield Place Allen Lambert Galleria in Toronto is now showing forty pieces of Leonard Cohen Artworks from May 7 to 19, 2012.
"This May, Leonard Cohen will become the Ninth Laureate of The Glenn Gould Prize, sometimes called the "Nobel Prize of the Arts." The Glenn Gould Foundation presents a rare glimpse of the works of famous songwriter as well as a glittering concert and gala fundraising event on May 14. Leonard Cohen has been active as a visual artist since his early days in Montreal and Hydra. These uniquely expressive artworks are another manifestation of Leonard Cohen's poetic vision. Visit www.glenngould.ca for more information."
The exhibition of Leonard Cohen's visual art is part of the Ninth Prize Celebrations in honour of the artist and musician that will also include a musical street tribute on Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12 in various locations throughout downtown Toronto. See photos of the Friday Street Tribute on my post here.
During the weekend musical street tribute more than 25 artists and small ensembles will perform songs and poetry in public spaces like Nathan Phillips Square, the CBC building on Front Street, Yorkville Parkette and the Bay and Bloor intersection.
Leonard Cohen's haunting melodies and words will permeate the streets of Toronto as solo artists and small musical ensembles occupy public spaces to enchant the public with Cohen's spellbinding songs and poetry. More than 25 artists will perform in locations including the business district, key arts and entertainment sites and popular shopping thoroughfares.
See more of his artwork after the jump.
"Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Gala Dinner"
The Glenn Gould Foundation, May 15, 2012. Photos by Eric Overton for The Glenn Gould Foundation.
Before the Presentation and Concert for Ninth Prize winner Leonard Cohen, special guests joined the Laureate at the Gala Dinner at Arcadian Court. Sponsored by The Bay. Photos by Eric Overton for The Glenn Gould Foundation.
"Outside Massey Hall"
Photo by Elliott Lefko, May 14, 2012
Thanks to Elliott Lefko of AEG for supplying this photo.
"Leonard Cohen accepts Glenn Gould Prize, gives away the $50,000"
Leonard Cohen humbly accepted the Glenn Gould Prize on Monday, but not the $50,000 prize that accompanied it, instead donating the cash to the Canada Council for the Arts.
The 77-year-old Cohen struck a modest tone as he claimed the award, first by hushing a standing ovation and then by offering his reassurance to the roster of musicians set to perform in his honour.
"Thank you so much ... how very kind of you to greet me with such hospitality," said Cohen, briefly doffing his trademark black fedora.
"I'm going to make these remarks mercifully short because I want to hear the music ... if there is any anxiety about performing in front of me, please let it dissolve completely. I go into bouts of childlike ecstasy ... when I hear anyone cover my songs."
It was a joyful affair for the Montreal troubadour, then, as an eclectic mix of artists offered faithful renditions of Cohen's best-loved tunes (well, most of them - his oft-covered Hallelujah was given the evening off).
Illinois country-folk songwriter John Prine, Toronto roots outfit Cowboy Junkies and Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor were among the musicians to fete Cohen while he looked on happily from the balcony above, applauding each performance and offering enthusiastic, two-handed waves to any musician who happened to glance up at him.
And former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson was just one speaker to compare Cohen to Gould, the eccentric piano virtuoso who inspired the biennial award, given for unique lifetime contribution to the arts.
"I think it is wonderfully fitting that the prize in his name goes to Leonard Cohen," Clarkson said.
Cohen also opened up about his relationship with Gould during his brief time onstage.
He recalled meeting the Toronto native for the first time around 1960. A twenty-something Cohen was interviewing Gould for a magazine and nervously ventured to the pianist's apartment to meet.
"This was before the days of tape recorders," said Cohen, who recalled that the interview - intended to last a few minutes - stretched for hours.
"I was so engrossed by what he was saying, I stopped taking notes. Those words were burned into my soul."
Until Cohen returned to his Montreal home to write, that is.
"I couldn't remember a word that he said," added Cohen, who became the ninth recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize and followed in the footsteps of Montreal jazz great Oscar Peterson and Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu Gould and Cohen would meet again years later, at Columbia Records' New York headquarters.
"He was recording something sublime, I was recording something otherwise," quipped Cohen, noting that he was, at the time, endeavouring to master the hip new slang.
"I said (to Gould), 'Hey man, what's shaking?' He said: 'I didn't know you were from Memphis, Tennessee.'"
While Cohen avoided overt sentimentality in his words, an array of speakers from different disciplines happily offered testimony to Cohen's brilliance.
Actor Alan Rickman compared Cohen to the 16th century English poet Thomas Wyatt. Celebrated author Michael Ondaatje discussed the ways in which Cohen's 1963 book, The Favourite Game, helped him transition to life in Montreal as an immigrant to Canada. And Clarkson, whose friendship with the singer dates back nearly 45 years, said his two novels "made (her) life worthwhile."
But perhaps most touching was the brief tribute offered by Cohen's son, Adam, who performed Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye before closing the show with a rousing singalong take on his father's 1967 hit, So Long, Marianne.
"I welled up when my father was speaking. I'm so honoured to be part of this honour," Adam Cohen said.
"Thank you for the music. Thank you dad."
"Leonard Cohen donates $50,000 prize to Canada Council"
Toronto, May 14, 2012 - Leonard Cohen donated his $50,000 Glenn Gould Prize to the Canada Council for the Arts at a star-studded concert in his honour at Toronto's Massey Hall.
"The truth is without the help and encouragement of the Canada Council I would never have written The Favourite Game or The Spice Box of Earth," said Mr. Cohen. "I am profoundly grateful."
The Canada Council awarded Mr. Cohen an arts scholarship that helped launch his writing career in 1958, the first year of the Council's operations. The scholarship was extended for three more years and supplemented with a small travel grant and poetry reading fee.
"We are deeply honoured and moved by Mr. Cohen's donation back to the people of Canada," said Joseph L. Rotman, Canada Council Chair. "Artists give back in many ways - through making art, through connecting people to each other, through giving voice to Canada abroad - and none more so than Leonard Cohen. How remarkable, then, that he has chosen to make this additional gift to Canada's leading arts funder to ensure that others can benefit from the same support he received so early in his career."
Leonard Cohen is the ninth recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize, awarded by the Glenn Gould Foundation to celebrate brilliance, promote creativity and transform lives through the power of music and the arts. The Prize was originally administered by the Canada Council for the Arts until 2000. The Council also supported the Glenn Gould International Conference organized by the Foundation in 1992.
Canada Council for the Arts
Founded in 1957, the Canada Council for the Arts promotes the study, enjoyment, and production of works in the arts. The Council offers a broad range of grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in music, dance, integrated arts, media arts, theatre, visual arts, and writing and publishing. It also promotes public awareness of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities, and houses both the ArtBank and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
"Leonard Cohen Speaks At Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert, May 14/12"
"Toronto Star Photo Gallery"
Toronto Star, May 14, 2012. Photos by Carlos Osorio.
LEONARD COHEN APPEARS ON STAGE
Toronto lawyer John D. McKellar, who has worked with many arts groups, presents legendary poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen with this year's Glenn Gould Prize at a Massey Hall gala on Monday night.
LEONARD COHEN DOFFS HAT
Leonard Cohen becomes the ninth laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize, worth $50,000.
LEONARD COHEN THANKS PRIZE COMMITTEE
"Thank you so much. I'm deeply grateful for this recognition," said Cohen as the full house at Massey Hall burst into applause.
THE SURPRISE GESTURE
Cohen then announced he was donating the $50,000 prize to the Canada Council for the Arts, noting that early in his career it was such organizations that helped artists like him start out.
LEONARD COHEN LISTENING
Cohen applauds in appreciation as tributes are given to him by the many guest artists and speakers. Just a few of them were the Cowboy Junkies, his son Adam Cohen, award-winning country singer/songwriter John Prine, James McMurtry, Michael Ondaatje and Gordon Pinsent.
LEONARD COHEN HATLESS
A moving tribute to Cohen was delivered by former governor general Adrienne Clarkson.
CHILD AT PODIUM
Cohen, sitting, smiles as host Colm Feore lowers the microphone for a child from Sistema Toronto, which provides free music education for children from culturally diverse neighbourhoods. Cohen is donating his $15,000 Protégé Prize, funded by the City of Toronto, to the group.
COHEN CALLS IT A NIGHT
Leonard Cohen leaves to roaring applause in recognition of his stature as one of the the country's great artists.
"Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Gala Presentation & Concert"
The Glenn Gould Foundation, May 15, 2012. Photos by Eric Overton for The Glenn Gould Foundation. (First photo by Chris Young/Canadian Press.)
The Glenn Gould Foundation honoured Ninth Glenn Gould Prize Laureate, Leonard Cohen, in a spectacular gala concert and ceremony last night at Massey Hall.
"Artistic community regales Leonard Cohen"
Toronto Sun by Jane Stevenson, May 15, 2012. Photo by Michael Peake/QMI Agency.
TORONTO - The torch was symbolically passed from father to son at Massey Hall on Monday night.
Adam Cohen wrapped up the two hour-plus Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert in honor of award recipient Leonard Cohen with a rousing rendition of the elder Cohen's classic "So Long, Marianne".
"For those of you who do not know ... I am the son of a well known singer from Montreal -- Celine Dion," joked the junior Cohen while proud papa beamed from the hall's second floor balcony. Then, adding more seriously, "I welled up when my father was speaking. I'm so honoured to be part of this honour."
Earlier, the senior Cohen, dressed in a suit, tie and fedora, handed over his $50,000 prize money to the Canada Council For The Arts and, as previously announced, named Sistema Toronto -- who give free classical musical lessons to Parkdale students -- the winner of the $15,000 City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protege Prize.
Then the 77-year-old singer-songwriter, poet and novelist settled in to watch an impressive lineup sing his praises, many via stripped down versions of his songs, while others read poetry and novel excerpts.
In his acceptance speech, Cohen said he met Gould twice, first as a would-be interviewer for Holiday magazine in the late '50s, early '60s, and later when they were both recording at Columbia Records studios in New York City.
"He was recording something sublime and I was recording something otherwise," joked Cohen. "I was infected in those days with the new hip language. I said, 'Hey man, what's shaking?' He said, 'I didn't know you were from Memphis, Tennessee."
As for the botched Gould interview, Cohen admitted he stopped taking notes in longhand of what became a several hour chat. After becoming so engrossed in the first few minutes, he had to evade the magazine's editor wanting a story.
"I stopped answering the phone," he deadpanned. "I finally joined the witness protection (program)."
Joining the younger Cohen on the performance roster were American singer-songwriters Jimmie Dale Gilmore, John Prine, James McMurtry, Canadian rising stars Basia Bulat, Serena Ryder, former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor (who forgot a line to "Famous Blue Raincoat") actor Gordon Pinsent, The Sadies' Travis Good, sometime Cohen collaborator Anjani Thomas, author Michael Ondaatje, Montreal musician Melissa Auf der Mar, Cowboy Junkies and British actor Alan Rickman.
It was an eclectic group.
For outright performances, the fiery, raspy-voiced Ryder stole the show with her solo acoustic guitar rendition of Sisters of Mercy while Rickman's dry delivery had everyone beat. He quoted Cohen responding to a female fan at a London concert, suggesting it might be time he changed the Book of Longing to the Book of Fufillment.
"It was perfectly timed pause and then Mr. Cohen said, 'What's fufillment got to offer?'" said Rickman to huge laughs.
Clarkson, a self-confessed Cohen groupie who admitted she saw his last tour nine times in four different countries, painted the funniest picture of the night about sharing some Cheese Whiz one night out of his fridge.
And of Cohen's reputation Auf der Maur gentled kidded: "A Montreal ladies' man is the classiest ladies' man of them all."
Host and actor Colm Feore, who once starred as the titular character in Thirty Two Short Films on Glenn Gould, filled the time between performances with Gould facts and stories but really the night belonged to Cohen.
"I go into immediate childish ecstasy when I hear somebody covering one of my songs," said Cohen, putting the performers at ease before they even began.
"For Leonard Cohen, What Goes Around Comes Around"
Torontoist by Todd Aalgaard, May 15, 2012. Photos by Nancy Paiva.
The Canadian poet, novelist, and musician was honoured with the Glenn Gould Prize.
Leonard Cohen must have felt a sense of time's great circle, Monday night. Honoured at Massey Hall as the Ninth Laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize, the iconic Montrealer doffed his fedora to the applauding crowd, cracking jokes and dryly sharing stories from early in his career. In that booming, legendary baritone, he recalled meeting Glenn Gould himself, a man described by host Colm Feore as the "James Dean of classical music."
The way Cohen described it, you could imagine dozens of young journalists in the audience feeling exactly what he did over fifty years earlier.
During his post-McGill days as an emerging writer, Cohen was interviewing Gould for a feature story. Though it was supposed to be a brief interview--maybe ten minutes, maybe less--the process ended up lasting hours, he said. Later, those hours became days spent hiding from his editors, ducking regular questions about the progress of his story. Characteristically self-deprecating, Cohen remarked that the interview had gone just a little too well. In the eclipsing presence of a cultural giant, without the aid of a tape recorder, auto-transcription, or anything else, Leonard Cohen had completely forgotten what they discussed.
Today, of course, history is Cohen's best witness. The 77 year old has gone from living a life of poetry, being part of Andy Warhol's circle, and publishing two novels--The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers--to exemplifying a haunting, jarringly honest, confessional style of music that is his alone. Though the music came along only after Cohen's writing had failed to pan out, you can imagine that whatever discussion had transpired between him and Gould had played its part: in the way Gould heard music in everything, Cohen, in turn, always managed to elevate ugliness to a level of raw, ethereal beauty. "There is a crack in everything," he wrote. "That's how the light gets in." Once music came along, it all seemed to bleed together.
On Monday night, Cohen was honoured by a host of musical and cultural heavyweights--Gordon Pinsent, Basia Bulat, Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo, John Prine, Alan Rickman, the Cowboy Junkies, and Serena Ryder, to name a few--in celebration of his achievements as an artist, part of the Glenn Gould Prize's mandate to recognize "the connection between artistic excellence and the transformation of lives." Called the "Nobel Prize of the arts" by the Toronto Star, the prize nets its winner a cool $50,000, plus another $15,000 for a "protege" of his or her choice.
That $15,000 went to Sistema Toronto, an educational collaboration with the Toronto District School Board that offers free, intensive music education to children in Parkdale, with plans to expand outward into the Greater Toronto Area. And that $50,000? Instead of claiming it, Cohen has gifted it to the Canada Council for the Arts, returning the favour of the occasional $25 grant he received from the funding body early in his career. These days, with so many long shadows cast across the arts in Toronto and in Canada, it was a resoundingly potent way of honouring all artists, especially the ones just finding their voices.
All in all, it was a pretty beautiful way for things to come full-circle.
"Photos: Leonard Cohen honoured at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert"
Ottawa Citizen, May 15, 2012. Photos by Jeevan Brar, Postmedia News.
Leonard Cohen is honoured at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto. The Glenn Gould Prize is awarded to an individual for a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts. The Glenn Gould Prize promotes the vital connection between artistic excellence and the transformation of lives.
Colm Feore hosts the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Leonard Cohen accepts the Glenn Gould Prize at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Leonard Cohen accepts the Glenn Gould Prize, but donates the $50,000 cash prize to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Leonard Cohen accepts the Glenn Gould Prize at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Leonard Cohen accepts the Glenn Gould Prize, but donates the $50,000 cash prize to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Leonard Cohen accepts the Glenn Gould Prize, but donates the $50,000 cash prize to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Leonard Cohen accepts the Glenn Gould Prize, but donates the $50,000 cash prize to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Leonard Cohen accepts the Glenn Gould Prize, but donates the $50,000 cash prize to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore performs Tower of Song at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Basia Bulat performs If It Be Your Will at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Basia Bulat performs If It Be Your Will at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Adrienne Clarkson speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Adrienne Clarkson speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Gordon Pinset recites an original poem at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Gordon Pinset recites an original poem at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Greg Keelor and Travis Good perform Famous Blue Raincoat at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Greg Keelor and Travis Good perform Famous Blue Raincoat at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Anjani Thomas performs Crazy to Love You at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Anjani Thomas performs Crazy to Love You at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
John Prine performs Souvenirs, as well as Bird on a Wire at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Michael Ondaatje speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Michael Ondaatje speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
James McMurty performs Closing Time at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Melissa Auf der Maur speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Melissa Auf der Maur speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Cowboy Junkies perform Avalanche at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Cowboy Junkies and John Prine perform One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Colm Feore hosts the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Alan Rickman speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Alan Rickman speaks at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Serena Ryder performs Sisters of Mercy at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Serena Ryder and Adam Cohen perform Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Serena Ryder and Adam Cohen perform Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Serena Ryder and Adam Cohen perform Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Serena Ryder and Adam Cohen perform Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Adam Cohen at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Adam Cohen performs So Long, Marianne at the Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Leonard Cohen at the Glenn Gould Prize at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
Leonard Cohen at the Glenn Gould Prize at Massey Hall on May 14, 2012 in Toronto.
"Leonard Cohen Receives Glenn Gould Prize, Donates $50K Reward to Arts Council"
Spinner by Jason MacNeil, May 15, 2012
Leonard Cohen took home the Glenn Gould Prize last night at a star-studded ceremony at Toronto's Massey Hall. But the legend then promptly gave the $50,000 reward which came with it to the Canada Council for the Arts as a generous donation.
Cohen mentioned the Canada Council for the Arts in a brief speech saying "without the help and encouragement of the Canada Council, I would never have written The Favorite Game or The Spice Box of Earth," referring to early writing works.
He then said encouraging words to the musicians who were set to perform his songs that night.
"I'm going to make these remarks mercifully short because I want to hear the music... if there is any anxiety about performing in front of me, please let it dissolve completely," Cohen said. "I go into bouts of childlike ecstasy... when I hear anyone cover my songs."
The concert included performances from a wide array of artists including John Prine, Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor and Cowboy Junkies and Adam Cohen, his son, who performed "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye." The performance closed with a singalong of Cohen's 1967 number "So Long, Marianne."
"I welled up when my father was speaking," the younger Cohen said. "I'm so honored to be part of this honor. Thank you for the music. Thank you dad."
Meanwhile, the honoree also mentioned meeting the late Glenn Gould around 1960 with Cohen interviewing the famed pianist for a magazine.
"This was before the days of tape recorders," Cohen said. "I was so engrossed by what he was saying, I stopped taking notes. Those words were burned into my soul."
Other speakers during the evening included former Canadian governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, author Michael Ondaatje and actor Alan Rickman.
Cohen became the ninth recipient of the award, joining the likes of the late Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson. The prize also comes with a $15,000 protégé honour which was received by Sistema, a musical education program in Toronto that Cohen selected as the winner.
The musician recently announced a string of North American dates as part of his Old Ideas World Tour. The trek begins in Austin on Oct. 31 before concluding Dec. 20 in Brooklyn with 10 Canadian dates included. The tour is in support of his new album Old Ideas.
"blog post: Leonard Cohen honoured, Glenn Gould celebrated"
CBC by Vish Khanna, May 15, 2012
After a weeklong appreciation for the life and work of Leonard Cohen, last night Toronto was graced with the presence of the legendary songwriter himself. Massey Hall played host to the eclectically programmed "Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert in Honour of Leonard Cohen," a wondrous event where it was occasionally difficult to determine whom the man of the hour really was.
After opening remarks by the evening's host, actor Colm Feore, and other dignitaries, it fell to Glenn Gould Foundation Executive Director Brian Levine to introduce Mr. Cohen, who walked onstage to a raucous standing ovation. Promising to keep his remarks "mercifully short," Cohen told charming stories about his two encounters with Glenn Gould. In the first, as a novice interviewer completely captivated by what Gould had to say, Cohen admitted that he was never able to make good on the magazine profile he was assigned to complete.
On the second occasion, they were contemporaries in a New York City recording studio in the '60s, where Gould wasn't about to tolerate Cohen's hipster jargon. "I said, 'Hey man, what's shakin'," Cohen recalled. "He said, 'I didn't know you were from Memphis, Tennessee.'"
And so began a night dedicated to Cohen, but also to Gould and the foundation bearing his name. After Cohen's acceptance speech, Feore described the author/poet's early days, when he received $25 grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, as reading fees between 1959 and 1960. Feore then made the surprise announcement that, in recognition of that support, Cohen was donating his $50,000 prize to the Council.
As part of the prize, Cohen was also asked to name a young recipient for the City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protegé Prize. He selected the children of Sistema Toronto, an organization that provides music education for youth. This seemed like an auspicious place to begin the performances for the evening, which alternated between interpretations of Cohen's songs, poems and prose, as well as anecdotal speeches about the man, who observed it all, beaming from his seat in the balcony.
It was an international, multi-generational affair, with Jimmie Dale Gilmore actually conjuring Hank Williams with his winsome take on "Tower of Song." Young Canadian powerhouse Basia Bulat was gorgeous and stirring in her interpretation of Cohen but, much like Gilmore's performance, there was a slight tension present. It can't be easy hitting the stage cold, dispensing with banter to keep the show running on time, and then playing Leonard Cohen songs to Leonard Cohen. It just can't.
Guest speaker Adrienne Clarkson warmed things up, discussing her eccentric encounters with Gould and how they intertwined with her relationship with Cohen and his work.
"I know that someone recently said to you, 'Are you going to keep doing this - touring and singing?'" Clarkson said, addressing Cohen. "And you replied, 'What else am I going to do?' In some people's mouths that might sound like finality, but in yours, it is the fulfillment of a promise. It is what we want you to do for us."
After performing with actor Gordon Pinsent, who read an original Cohen-inspired poem, Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo and Travis Good of the Sadies played a charming if nervous "Famous Blue Raincoat" (Keelor laughed and cursed, after flubbing a lyric)?. This preceded a soulful take on "Crazy to Love You" by frequent Cohen collaborator, Anjani.
If Massey Hall was abuzz for anyone besides Cohen, it was legendary singer-songwriter John Prine who ambled onstage to perform his own "Souvenirs." After that masterful display, he shyly performed "Bird on a Wire," which the audience greatly appreciated. Prine returned later, joining Cowboy Junkies for a scrappy yet spirited version of "One of Us Cannot be Wrong."
Author Michael Ondaatje expressed his admiration for Cohen's portrayal of the Montreal he knew so well, in Cohen's 1963 novel, The Favourite Game. Whenever Bob Dylan sings the line in "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" about how "even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked," his audience always cheers. It's a curious celebration, and Ondaatje was greeted with something similar, reading a near 50-year-old passage about how dull the prime minister of Canada might be.
In between the brief sets, as the tech crew scrambled about to reconfigure the stage for the next performer, we learned a lot about Glenn Gould. Feore took these moments to share all sorts of anecdotes about Gould's life on earth (and in outer space), which was a tad strange, given that the evening was ostensibly for Leonard Cohen. At least Feore was saying something to the audience, as the musicians had little time to do so.
American folk artist James McMurtry broke with tradition, speaking to the crowd while retuning his guitar and, in something of an overshare, plugging a song of his own called "You'd a Thought," which includes the subtitle, "Leonard Cohen must die." Still, he did a spirited, non-traditional take on "Closing Time" that was a highlight.
Both Melissa Auf der Maur and actor Alan Rickman made captivating speeches. Montrealer Auf der Maur, who initially seemed coolly detached, got on a roll, basically selling her city to Toronto. "I feel it's impossible not to mention the beauty and character of Montreal when celebrating Leonard Cohen because it's a city that has the power to define people and becomes a muse unto itself," she said. "A Montreal ladies man is the classiest ladies man of them all."
The stately and charismatic Rickman juxtaposed a 16th century poem with Cohen's "This is It," and then read Cohen's "Going Home," which he simply inhabited, as if it were his own composition. "Like most people here tonight, I'd say I know Leonard Cohen, even though I don't know him at all," Rickman said. "But, like you, I've met him on every page and every song." It was touching and beautiful with the perfect hint of drama one might expect from the actor.
The evening ended with performances by Serena Ryder, both solo, and then later joined by Adam Cohen, the son of Leonard. Hearing Adam sing his father's songs, "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" and "So Long, Marianne" was eerie; he sounds just like a younger version of his dad and, on an evening filled with recollections about ancient history, the middle of the 20th century, the enduring legacy of Glenn Gould, and Leonard Cohen's tall tower of song, its temporal confusion was an appropriate nightcap.
"Leonard Cohen: A specialist in longing, loving and losing beautifully"
A few years ago, in his round-up review of Leonard Cohen's earliest three albums, the great American rock critic Robert Christgau wrote this: "If you think Leonard Cohen is old now, try to imagine how old he was when he was young."
Some of us who attended the Glenn Gould Prize gala at Toronto's Massey Hall on Monday did try to imagine. Perhaps the man of the hour did as well. Cohen, 77, was on hand to accept his recognition as the ninth laureate - an award sometimes described as the "Nobel Prize for the arts."
From his seat in the left first balcony - royal blue bunting marked his front-row perch - Cohen watched some of his life pass before him. At one point, the English actor Alan Rickman expertly and appropriately read the lyrics to Going Home, from Cohen's album of this year, Old Ideas. "He wants to write a love song," recited Rickman, "an anthem of forgiving, a manual for living with defeat." This was Cohen on Cohen - the night's best summation of a long-time specialist in longing, loving and losing beautifully.
If there was failure to the evening, it was that in all the applause and praise, no other exact appraisal of what Cohen has been doing all these years was quite offered. I think there was too much shoe-horning in of the significance of the man for whom the night's prize was named, that eccentric genius pianist.
Of course the comparison of Cohen with Gould was unavoidable. But then it had already been done so adroitly by the gifted music writer Robert Harris, who in the evening's program booklet considered the Canadian psyche. "Maybe we're not a timid, tightly trapped between Empires, hesitant and icy," Harris wrote. "Maybe we're what Gould and Cohen both were and are - passionate, powerful, ironic, yes... but with something immensely valuable the world responds to: An understanding of depth, of the bedrock of feeling, a Canadian Shield of soul that is quiet and contemplative, enduring."
I can't beat that. And neither could the elegant former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, whose curious Picasso-esque dress suggested she had lost a wager of some sort. She reminisced warmly and easily over Cohen. Who knew she was such a fan that she travelled to nine concerts in four countries for the troubadour's concerts? And who didn't delight in hearing that she'd once shared Cheese Whiz straight from the ladies' man's own refrigerator?
Clarkson did us a great favour by suggesting that we use Google to track down a 1966 television interview she had conducted with Cohen. It's absolutely illuminating; it should have been shown on the screen above the stage. An audience would have seen a dazzlingly young journalist Clarkson asking the perfect questions to an already worldly poet-novelist about his art. Posterity? "I'm not interested in an insurance plan for my work," Cohen said, missing no beats. He desired a "horizontal immediacy," rather than something to endure.
Cohen had no interest in doing this or that thing specifically - the poses of poets and singers were meaningless. "It's just a matter of what your hand falls on," he explained, "and if you can make what your hand falls on sing, you can just do it."
When he suggested that he might like to design a building, Clarkson wondered why Cohen, no architect, would wish to dream up something that would likely collapse. "I don't think the building would fall down," was his response.
At Massey, they hadn't come to question Cohen, but to bury him with praise and his own material. But the man of the hour deflected it all humbly and with poise, reassurance and calming appreciation. "I just want to say to the musicians and singers, if there's any anxiety about singing my songs in front of me, let it dissolve immediately, because I go into immediate childish ecstasy and paroxysms of gratitude when I hear somebody covering one of my songs."
And so an eclectic array of people fêted Cohen, doing so in the best and most charismatic ways they could muster. Highlights included soul-folk warbler Serena Ryder's assured way with Sisters of Mercy, an elegiac gem from 1968. The novelist Michael Ondaatje read from Cohen's 1963 book, The Favourite Game, and talked about the importance of literary topography.
John Prine is the great American songwriter who has written famously about desires as thunder and dreams as lightening, and that for some to believe in their struggles was a hard way to go. When he sang the first words to Bird on a Wire, the crowd softly moaned in recognition. A cowboy version of the song followed - "I have tried in my way to be free."
At the end, after Adam Cohen's less than climatic version of So Long, Marianne, host Colm Feore said something Elvis-y: "Leonard Cohen has left the building."
And Cohen's building of work still stands. No collapse coming. He hadn't performed himself, but certainly was applauded for his donation of the $50,000 cash prize that accompanied the award to the Canada Council for the Arts.
His fans would have probably enjoyed hearing him and Hallelujah, but it wasn't happening. As the man sang downcast in 1969: "I cannot follow you, my love / You cannot follow me." Being Leonard Cohen is a tough act, always has been that way.
"Leonard Cohen honoured as ninth laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize"
Macleans by Marni Jackson, May 15, 2012. Photo by Chris Young/CP Image.
John Prine, Cowboy Junkies, Michael Ondaatje, Adrienne Clarkson, and Alan Rickman paid tribute to the bard
A slight figure in a grey suit with one hand clasped to his chest came on stage last night to greet a full house at Massey Hall, where he was receiving the $50,000 Glenn Gould Prize for a lifetime of achievement in the arts.
"My remarks will be mercifully short," Leonard Cohen began, "because I want to hear the music." And no wonder: the line-up waiting to honour Cohen included John Prine, the Cowboy Junkies, Serena Ryder, Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor, and Cohen's son Adam, with spoken tributes by Michael Ondaatje, Adrienne Clarkson, Melissa Auf Der Maur and Alan Rickman. Closing Time was a long ways off.
Then Cohen described one of his own encounters with the world's greatest classical pianist.
Early in his career, he managed to wangle a magazine interview with Glenn Gould. The two met, started to talk, and Cohen "began scribbling away". The conversation deepened, Cohen abandoned his notes, and several intricate, rich hours went by. "I felt the words were embedded in my soul," said Cohen.
"Then I got back to my little room on Mountain St. in Montreal, ready to write the story, and I couldn't remember a thing." He spent the next few weeks avoiding phone calls from the editor. The article never appeared.
Leonard Cohen, Failed Journalist. Who knew?
One of the many things we can thank Leonard for (we're all on a first name basis with him) is the tone he establishes at events like these. It could have been a stuffy evening of long-winded speeches. But Leonard always cuts to the chase, keeping his remarks personal, lighthearted and modest. He is also generous, donating his prize money to the Canada Council for the Arts.
That set the tone for an evening that, apart from a few musical dips, was magical, brimming with affection for the man, the poet and the musician. Sitting in the balcony behind a funny little swag of blue bunting like royalty, Leonard gave every appearance of enjoying himself, doffing his fedora to the performers. Early on, he also let the musicians off the hook, saying "Please don't be nervous about playing for me-- I tend to go into paroxysms of gratitude whenever I hear anyone singing a song of mine."
Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo took him at his word, and immediately fluffed a few lines in his otherwise wonderful version, backed by Travis Good of The Sadies, of "Famous Blue Raincoat".
Other musical highlights included Cohen's musical collaborater Anjani Thomas. In a blush-coloured silk blouse, still and slim as a flute of wine, Anjani brought a poet's economy to the way she sang "Crazy to Love You", from the new album "Old Ideas". At the opposite end of the spectrum was the rough, true timbre of John Prine who did himself proud on the hard-to-sing "Bird on a Wire". Author Michael Ondaatje spoke about how important Cohen's first novel, "The Favourite Game" was to him as a writer. Newly arrived from England, Ondaatje noticed that books and films were always set elsewhere, never in Canada. "But that book, and its main characters Breavman and Krantz, mapped Montreal for me", he said, going on to read a hilarious passage from the 1963 novel about the dullness of the Canadian prime minister. (A timeless theme, evidently.)
The musical highlight of the evening for me was Serena Ryder. Her big, joyful voice and her attack on the guitar turned the normally delicate composition "Sisters of Mercy" into a full-blooded raunchy version of the song. It was about time in the evening for something sexy, too.
Matching Cohen in the voices-from-the-bottom-of-the-sea department was actor Alan Rickman, who delivered the most gorgeous reading of the evening. The bite, the wit and the unflinchingness of Cohen's poetry was all there in Rickman's exquisite rendering.
The night ended with Cohen's 39 year old son Adam playing guitar, singing - and coaxing the audience to sing along too - on "So Long Marianne". Several decades back, when many considered Leonard Cohen's voice a joke and his writing too gloomy, the Montreal folksinger wrote this little break-up song with its strangely cheerful chorus, urging us to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.
Now here was his grown son and a concert hall full of fans, singing it back to him.
I hope he still likes the song!
All of this unfolded in the aging but still resonant Massey Hall - the Leonard Cohen of venues. As another Canadian songwriter might put it, long may they both run
"Leonard Cohen wins $50K Glenn Gould Prize, then donates it, at star-filled gala"
National Post (Canada) by Jesse Kinos-Goodin, May 15, 2012. Photo by Chris Young/The Canadian Press.
Leonard Cohen was feted in grand style on Monday night, with a who's who of Canadian luminaries showing up to pay tribute to the singer-songwriter as he was awarded the biannual Glenn Gould Prize at Toronto's Massey Hall. The recipient of the $50,000 prize, awarded to Cohen for a unique lifetime contribution to "improving the human condition through music and communication," added an extra air of gratitude to the evening, donating the full amount to the Canada Council for the Arts.
The gala, hosted by Colm Feore, wouldn't have been a true celebration of Cohen's work without, of course, the music, and artists from the Cowboy Junkies to Cohen's son, Adam, covered a wide array of his catalogue.
"I'm going to make these remarks mercifully short because I want to hear the music," Cohen said in his acceptance speech before trying to relieve any of the pressure the musicians about to cover his work may have felt. "I feel paroxysms of gratitude when someone covers my music," he said.
That assurance didn't do much for Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor, who cursed after forgetting the words to Famous Blue Raincoat, but it was such an atmosphere that no one seemed to care, least of all Cohen.
Folk singer Basia Bulat provided an early highlight, performing an uplifting take on If It Be Your Will on her charango, and actor Alan Rickman received a loud round of applause after reading one of Cohen's poems.
But if anyone was going to steal the spotlight from Cohen, it was his son Adam, who closed the night with So Long, Marianne, coaxing the audience to singalong. When Leonard does decide to stop touring one day (although hopefully not any time soon), Adam definitely made a strong case for including his father's work in his own live show.
Performers and speakers at the Glenn Gould Gala
Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Tower of Song
Basia Bulat, If It Be Your Will
Adrienne Clarkson, guest speaker
Gordon Pinsent, Greg Keelor and Travis Good, original poem by Pinsent
Greg Keelor and Travis Good, Famous Blue Raincoat
Anjani Thomas, Crazy to Love You
John Prine, Souvenirs and Bird on a Wire
Michael Ondaatje, guest speaker
James McMurtry, Closing Time
Melissa Auf der Maur, guest speaker
Cowboy Junkies, Avalanche
Cowboy Junkies and John Prine, One of Us Cannot be Wrong
Alan Rickman, guest speaker
Serena Ryder, Sisters of Mercy
Adam Cohen and Serena Ryder, Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye
Adam Cohen, So Long, Marianne
"Leonard Cohen donates $50K from Glenn Gould Prize"
CBC by CBC News, May 15, 2012
Singer-songwriter gives cash to Canada Council for the Arts
A modest Leonard Cohen accepted the $50,000 Glenn Gould Prize at a star-studded gala tribute in Toronto on Monday night, before promptly donating the cash to the Canada Council for the Arts.
"The truth is without the help and encouragement of the Canada Council, I would never have written The Favourite Game or The Spice Box of Earth," Cohen said, referencing early writing scholarships received from the council that helped him launch his career.
"I am profoundly grateful."
The 77-year-old poet and Canadian music icon hushed the crowd of friends, family and fans offering him a standing ovation at the Massey Hall gala. He also offered a bit of reassurance to the slate of musicians -- including his singer-songwriter son, Adam -- set to offer musical tributes.
"I'm going to make these remarks mercifully short because I want to hear the music ... if there is any anxiety about performing in front of me, please let it dissolve completely. I go into bouts of child-like ecstasy ... when I hear anyone cover my songs," he said.
Musicians who took the stage included Toronto's Cowboy Junkies and Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor, while spoken tributes came from the likes of former governor general Adrienne Clarkson, actor Alan Rickman and author Michael Ondaatje.
Earlier Monday, the younger Cohen told CBC that though he had always admired his father, he hadn't "demonstrated his influence on me and celebrated him outwardly until late in my life."
Cohen's son says 'thank you for the music'
On Monday night, he offered a touching homage with his father's songs, performing Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye and leading a closing singalong of So Long, Marianne.
"I welled up when my father was speaking. I'm so honoured to be part of this honour," Adam Cohen said.
"Thank you for the music. Thank you dad."
Described by some as the Nobel Prize of the Arts, the award is presented biennially to "an individual for a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts." The prize includes a corresponding $15,000 protégé honour, with the recipient chosen by the winner. Cohen selected the music education program Sistema Toronto as his co-winner.
The Montreal troubadour joins an esteemed list of previous Gould Prize laureates, including:
Jazz great Oscar Peterson.
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Conductor and music educator Jose Antonio Abreu.
Composer R. Murray Schafer.
"Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert in Honour of Leonard Cohen Massey Hall, Toronto ON May 14"
Exclaim by Kerry Doole, May 15, 2012
The Glenn Gould Prize is now recognized as one of the most prestigious international awards for the arts. Montreal's favourite bard, Leonard Cohen, was chosen as the prize's ninth laureate, and an illustrious grouping of musicians, actors and writers participated in this tribute gala.
On hand to accept the honour, Cohen was typically modest and classy. He presented his $50,000 prize to the Canada Council for the Arts, acknowledging the organization's early support of his work. During his acceptance speech, he went on to tell a funny anecdote about meeting Gould and declared, "I go into paroxysms of gratitude hearing others do my songs."
Cohen was surely thrilled when the evening's musical component kicked off with golden-voiced Texan troubadour Jimmie Dale Gilmore's poignant reading of "Tower of Song." Whoever programmed the gala did a superb job of mixing in American and Canadian artists, with younger stars and veterans alike covering Cohen classics with genuine respect while adding their own subtle touches.
Justifiably receiving perhaps the loudest ovation was John Prine. The American country-folk hero shone on his own "Souvenirs," "Bird on a Wire" and a riveting duet with Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies on "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong." Calling the show "a career highlight," Timmins and the Junkies also electrified with a sizzling take on "Avalanche." Basia Bulat and Serena Ryder impressed with sparse readings of "If It Be Your Will" and "Sisters of Mercy," respectively, with Cohen protege Anjani Thomas delivering a sweetly mellow "Crazy to Love You."
The night's weakest performance came from James McMurtry on a sped-up version of "Closing Time" prefaced by attempts at humour that fell flat. Accompanied by Travis Good and three fetching femme backing singers, Greg Keelor overcame a slight flub amidst an otherwise powerful version of "Famous Blue Raincoat." Good and Keelor also added some atmospheric guitar to actor Gordon Pinsent's resonant narration of an original poem.
It was interesting to note how many of the singers (and guest readers) sported grey hair, something that added gravitas to their renditions of Cohen words and lyrics crammed with hard-earned wisdom and insight. Actor Alan Rickman drew loud cheers with his dramatic reading; Colm Feore was a skilful host; Michael Ondaatje reflected on the impact Cohen's early writing had on him; and Melissa Auf der Maur was charmingly eloquent in her remarks. Former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, however, was typically self-aggrandizing in her remarks.
Closing out a spectacular evening in fitting fashion was Adam Cohen. Jokingly introducing himself as "the son of Céline Dion," he was joined by Ryder on "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye," then led a large onstage cast through a rousing version of "So Long, Marianne" (wisely, no artist here attempted the over-exposed "Hallelujah"). The audience then gave the man of the night another standing ovation.
There is no shortage of Leonard Cohen tribute albums and concerts out there, but few could match the high standards set by this highly memorable event.
"Leonard Cohen Wins, Then Gives Away $50,000"
Leonard Cohen humbly accepted the Glenn Gould Prize on May 14 in Toronto, and then promptly gave away the $50,000 that goes with it to the Canada Council for the Arts.
"Thank you so much ... how very kind of you to greet me with such hospitality," the 77-year-old poet, songwriter, singer and author said as he briefly doffed his trademark black fedora. Cohen kept his acceptance remarks short so as to allow maximum time onstage for the musicians who had come to honor him by performing covers of some of his most famous songs. Among them were Illinois country-folk songwriter John Prine, Toronto roots outfit Cowboy Junkies and Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor. Cohen's son Adam was also there to fete his father, performing "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" and the 1967 hit "So Long, Marianne."
Cohen did, however, take the time to tell the story of how he first met the late Glenn Gould, the eccentric piano virtuoso, many years ago. Cohen was 20 years old at the time and had gone to Gould's Toronto home to interview him for an article. In an age before tape recorders, Cohen had to write everything down. When the interview, initially meant to take only a few minutes stretched on for hours, Cohen stopped taking notes. "I was so engrossed by what he was saying, I stopped taking notes. Those words were burned into my soul," Cohen recounted. The only problem was that when he returned home to Montreal to write the article, "I couldn't remember a word that he said."
Actor Alan Rickman, author Michael Ondaatje, and journalist and stateswoman Adrienne Clarkson came on stage to praise Cohen, who is the ninth recipient of this biennial award. But perhaps the simplest and most moving tribute came from Adam Cohen. "I welled up when my father was speaking. I'm so honored to be part of this honor," the son said. "Thank you for the music. Thank you dad."
"Glenn Gould Prize Gala honours Leonard Cohen at Massey Hall"
blogTO by Roger Cullman, May 16, 2012. Photos by Roger Cullman Photography.
Leonard Cohen was honoured as the Ninth Laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize at a music-filled gala at Massey Hall on Monday night.
The $50,000 prize, awarded every two years, gives recognition to an individual who has made a lifelong contribution to improving the human condition through music and communication.
Cohen chose the Canada Council for the Arts as the recipient of the award. As part of the prize, Cohen, now 77, also selected Parkdale-based Sistema Toronto as the recipient of the $15,000 Glenn Gould Protégé Prize. What a class act.
The evening featured performances of his songs by several notable Canadian musicians, including Basia Bulat, who sung "If It Be Your Will."
The Rt. Honourable Adrienne Clarkson told a few amusing stories about Leonard Cohen from when she worked at the CBC. She also let us know about this gem of an interview from the CBC archives. (See below)
Although I hadn't heard of her before Monday night, I had heard singer Anjani Thomas sing background vocals on Cohen's recording of "Hallelujah," as well as on "I'm Your Man," "The Future" and "Dear Heather."
Writer Michael Ondaatje reflected on some of Cohen's early work and its impact on his own writing.
Melissa Auf der Maur told of her life growing up in Montreal and how the city must have shaped her and Cohen alike.
Cowboy Junkies performed "Avalanche" and "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" in their subtle, fragile way.
Alan Rickman was delightful to listen to as he read the lyrics to "Going Home," from Cohen's Old Ideas album that came out this year. He spoke of the wonders that Cohen's words have brought us.
While I was hoping that Cohen himself would sing on stage before the night was through, his son Adam Cohen did, joined by Serena Ryder for "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye."
Fans of Leonard Cohen will get to see and hear him on stage once again later in the year as he's coming back to Toronto during his tour, touching down at the Air Canada Centre on December 4.
"After-Party at Fran's Restaurant - Ninth Prize Celebrations"
The Glenn Gould Foundation, May 25, 2012. Photos by Eric Overton for The Glenn Gould Foundation.
Following the Gala Award Presentation and Concert, performers and special guests enjoyed an informal after-party at Fran's Restaurant, Glenn Gould's favourite eatery. Lighthouse performed a special cover of Tower of Song for Leonard Cohen who attended.
"Camera: Leonard Cohen at the Glenn Gould Award Gala (and Fran's Restaurant)"
Toronto Life by Andrew Wallace, July 9, 2012. Photo by George Pimentel.
May 14, Fran's Restaurant. By the time the VIP after-party rolled around, few attendees expected the man of the hour to show. Leonard Cohen is 77, after all, and it had been a long evening: first a lavish dinner at the Arcadian Court, then a tribute concert at Massey Hall, where Cohen was awarded the Glenn Gould award (the so-called Nobel Prize for the Arts). The late-night doubters spoke too soon: as the clock struck 11:47 p.m., Cohen swept into the diner to a buzz of excitement and a striking-up of the band (CanCon rockers Lighthouse) and began to boogie, an inexpert little shuffle that the legendary troubadour made look effortlessly cool.
"In Praise of Leonard Cohen"
Leonard Cohen was celebrated last night as the ninth recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize, and in Jian's opening essay on today's show, he argues that's just as it should be. Leonard Cohen's life and work has come to represent a cultural richness that we don't find just anywhere these days.
Listen
"Adam Cohen on Leonard Cohen"
Last night Leonard Cohen became the ninth Glenn Gould Prize laureate, and Adam Cohen was among the performers paying tribute at Toronto's Massey Hall. He dropped by Studio Q this morning to reflect on his father's award, and to perform "So Long, Marianne," as well as his own song, "Like a Man."
Listen
"Shinan: Lauding the ladies' man"
National Post by Shinan Govani, May 16, 2012
Was that a promise?
Among the highlights at the Leonard Cohen-palozza held Monday night in Toronto -- an event that took on the characteristics of a liturgy, and constituted an all-out exercise in monotheism at Massey Hall -- was an address, and a vow, by Adrienne Clarkson. Her speech -- passionate, personal, on-point -- stood out not just as a spiel of the sacred, but for a sub- and surtext verging on the romantic.
During Cohen's last tour, the grooviest former GG told the room (in which the legend, and his fedora, sat as well), "I went to nine concerts in four different countries." Including, yep, a stop in Bilbao, Spain, where she now carries the memory of 14,000 Basques singing Closing Time in unity.
With Cohen set to tour again later this year, the super-duper groupie followed up, "I hope to beat that record." (Expedia: you have been warned!) The memory lane, further strolled, included Clarkson's remembrance of the bard doing her show on the CBC in 1967 (his first time singing on television!), as well as a swath of moments shared: in Paris at Café de Flore; brunch at Beauty's in Montreal; and fun times at her own regal address of Rideau Hall.
All this -- and as laudatory as she was! -- Clarkson actually stopped short of the words she once spun in an essay she once wrote about the legend: "When he speaks to you, a pattern appears in the shadow on the wall, the floors moulds to your feet."
Well, nobody said Cohen wasn't a ladies' man.
Appearing several points later in the program, tied to the legend's acceptance of the prestigious Glenn Gould Prize, was the 77-year-old's been-for-a-bit girlfriend (and muse) Anjani Thomas. (And, yes, he called her his "girlfriend" at a dinner held right before the tribute!) Taking the stage, the native Hawaiian looked luscious, her hair ready good to do a Garnier commercial. She also seemed to have the nothing-to-sneeze-at talent of wearing the hell out of pants. Singing her man's song, Crazy to Love You -- which she did in a minimalist, 4 a.m.-hour style -- I was reminded that she and Cohen have been spotted in all manner of domesticated harmony in recent years. They were even eye-spied grocery shopping together in Los Angeles!
When all was said and sang and bromanced -- Cohen's extreme appeal even extends to the likes of actor Alan Rickman, who told us on this night that Mr. Beautiful Losers is like the modern equivalent to Renaissance poet and English sonnet-father Thomas Wyatt -- the night spilled over to, of all place, Fran's, across from Massey Hall. Sweet potato fries! The diner of eternal youth! The mise-en-scène of so many stands, one-night and more! Cohen, Clarkson, Rickman. They were spotted among the booths, and all the revelry. Others who'd come out to celebrate and participate -- rocker Melissa Auf der Maur, author Michael Ondaatje, the bard's own son, Adam Cohen -- were spotted, too.
Cohen -- a lover for the ages -- was even seen bopping a little. And the fedora played on.
"Party photos of the week: Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert"
Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert: Leonard Cohen was in the spotlight as guests feted the ninth laureate of the coveted arts prize
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson talks at The Glenn Gould Prize Gala held at Massey Hall.
Colm Feore and Jian Ghomeshi
Vanessa Morcom and Adam Cohen
Michael Ondaatje and Greg Keelor
Gordon Pinsent in the crowd at The Glenn Gould Prize Gala held at Massey Hall.
Adam Cohen (son of Leonard) performs at The Glenn Gould Prize Gala held at Massey Hall.
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson and Alan Rickman attend The Glenn Gould Prize Gala afterparty at Fran's Restaurant.
Sam Santos photographs Leonard Cohen
Linda Spalding and Michael Ondaatje
"Circling the world with Leonard Cohen"
Our lives move in circles. The circles get larger; the circles get smaller; the circles collide with others and sometimes the sun comes out and sometimes the moon weeps.
It's finding the centre of your own circle and keeping that balance which leads to those moments of deep understanding from which art is made. Leonard Cohen spoke of it as being "in the centre of your own orbit" in a 1966 interview with Adrienne Clarkson in her previous incarnation as host extraordinaire on CBC-TV's Take 30.
By that time Cohen was already celebrated as a novelist and poet, and was creating the visual art which he would reveal to the world only in 2006 and put on display in a Vancouver gallery last year. In other words, even in his early 30s Cohen was sharing with the world various manifestations of his deep, balanced understanding of the human spirit.
In other words, Cohen's circle has always been large. A Canadian poet, he doesn't write about Canada, just human beings on planet Earth. As a Jew born in Montreal he uses Christian metaphors to lead us to the places and the peace his Zen Buddhism has revealed.
Revealed is a good description of how Cohen works. He is frequently termed a troubadour, that romantic word from medieval France. But the word means a finder, a poet who wanders the world and finds what the rest of us don't (or won't) see.
No, I take that back. Truly we are all seekers-but sadly we are not all finders. Our imbalance, our off-centred lives prevent us from seeing what Cohen does. Fortunately he is both a finder and a giver, and we are blessed receivers.
By now we all know Cohen was awarded the Glenn Gould Prize for lifetime achievement in the arts earlier this week in Toronto and that he gave the $50,000 prize back to the Canada Council saying he was "profoundly grateful" for the council's support in launching his writing career. What an impressive, humble way to close that circle!
Not as widely known is that he designated Sistema, a program which offers free, intensive music education to children from culturally diverse neighbourhoods in Toronto, to receive the accompanying $15,000 Protégé Prize. Sistema is based on the Venezuelan program which produced conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the incredible Venezuelan Youth Orchestra.
David Visentin, artistic director of Sistema Toronto, got to the heart of Cohen's gift saying, "He is challenging talent to reveal itself in the years to come." There's that sense of finding and revealing again, and Cohen is a giver who shines the light of understanding on all he touches, revealing many layers of meaning particularly through his poetic writings.
Asked by Clarkson about the source of his poetry, Cohen says you can find poetry everywhere. "If you can make what your hand falls on sing, then you can just do it." Although Cohen meant "sing" as a metaphor, we all know how important music has become in his life. He has released 12 studio albums and there are several live recordings too.
But how does his music relate to his poetry? Perhaps one is just a natural extension of the other. Canada's poet laureate, Fred Wah, described Cohen reading his poetry in Buffalo in 1964: "The reading went smoothly, then he pulled out his guitar!"
Cohen's music envelopes his poetry and wafts it into our souls to surface as souvenirs of times, places, people, feelings, life. He keeps the melodies and harmonies simple enough to retain a true folk quality, simple enough to trick us into thinking we are all good singers.
Even Cohen himself. But he's too honest for that, and gently laughed at us for his 1993 Juno for "Male Vocalist of the Year". Let's say his voice is unique.
It's not just the uniqueness of his voice which drives so many musicians to cover his songs, however. It's the quality of the music and the richness of the words. There's one song in particular which didn't do all that well when Cohen released it in 1984 but has been so spectacularly covered that Cohen himself has asked for a moratorium.
So I can't mention its name, but you all know it. The music is obsessive and the words are magnificently full of undefined meaning. They definitely mean something profound, something about our struggle with relationships both human and spiritual, but all we can take away ultimately is the beautiful sadness of the long road we take in learning how to get along.
This agreeable ambiguity led to the first great cover, by John Cale in 1991, then the gold standard by Jeff Buckley in 1994, and many more including the deeply sensitive k.d.lang. The settings vary but the noble arch of Cohen's melody, rising inexorably to that passionate, reverent, irreverent exclamation of the title wins us every time. He complements the melody with chords which gently rock in innocence, avoiding the end until it can be avoided no longer.
Music moves in circles, large and small ones, starting here and finishing at a there which is still here. The circle of this song is small and huge, embracing us in its very human message.
The circle of Cohen's life keeps expanding, too, embracing all who listen. He told Clarkson "I'm not interested in posterity," and continued to create the anthems of our lives.
Happy listening!
Murray Charters (murraysmusic@rogers.com) is a musician, teacher and writer in Brantford who imbibes a bit of Cohen now and zen.
"Other Reports on the Events"
Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook - Leonard Cohen Speaks at Glenn Gould Prize Gala Concert on May 14, 2012
Sassy Tidbits - So, This Happened-Glenn Gould Prize Gala Celebrating Leonard Cohen
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