Meet the OSO’s double bass player Mark Haney
OSO double bass player, Mark Haney thinks of himself as a musical storyteller rather than a “conventional composer.” Sometimes the storytelling is overt, such as his album, “Aim for the Roses,” written to tell the story of forgotten Canadian daredevil Ken Carter through songs, narration and hundreds of layers of double bass. Sometimes it is more of a mixed media experience, such as “Omnis Temporalis,” a retelling of “George Sprott” by the renowned cartoonist Seth which saw a 10-week exhibition at the Richmond Art Gallery and will be released as an elaborate album package in 2020.
Haney is always looking for the next creative project where he can partner with others and offer integrated community experiences . He wrote a lot of stories growing up in Ottawa and sometimes combined these with his beginning guitar skills.
When he started middle school, he asked to play guitar in the band. But, there was already a guitar player. Fortunately, the music teacher put a bass in his hands and the future of his musical exploration began in earnest. Up until that point, he had only heard the word “bass” as a setting on the stereo and hadn’t realized that it was a musical instrument.
He was hooked immediately.
After initial private studies with jazz and classical bassist John Geggie, Haney began his degree at the University of Ottawa before eventually transferring to the University of Calgary to study with Calgary Philharmonic principal bass player, Chuck Garrett. It was during those years more-than-20 years ago that Haney found his way to playing in the bass section with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra.
Perhaps his biggest turning point as a student was spending a week in residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts where he worked closely with renowned bassist Edgar Meyer. This eye-opening experience set Haney on his path as a composer and performer.
Haney loves to create community engaged projects, such as “Centum
Director
Martin Scorsese
is 77. is 75. of New Edition and is 52. of The Band Perry is 31.
Danny DeVito Ronnie DeVoe
Actor Singer Bell Biv DeVoe
Bassist
Reid Perry Monday Margaret Atwood Linda Evans Warren Moon Owen Wilson
Author-poet Actress Retired quarterback Actor
is 80. is 77. is 63.
is 51.
Corpora,” a site-specific work for 100 brass instruments at Mountain View Cemetery, or his work “3339,” which places the Terry Fox-story into the framework of the “Hero’s Journey,” and he is always looking for inspiring Canadian stories to bring to life through his music.
Haney also loves to pass on what he has learned to the next generation.
He works regularly with our Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra students as a bass coach and supports the OSYO student composer program, which this weekend will see composition student, Leif Jack’s piece “In Paradisum” receive its world premiere at the OSYO concerts in Vernon,
Penticton and Kelowna.
The following weekend will be Haney’s turn to shine. For the OSO’s 60th-anniversary season, Haney, inspired by the brilliant playing of his colleague Meaghan Williams (OSO principal bassist) decided to write a new Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra.
As Williams hails from St. John’s, Nfld., Haney investigated a little- known piece of Newfoundland’s history.
In 1941, during the Second World War, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt held a series of secret meetings with the code name Riviera in Placentia Bay, Nfld. Churchill hoped to inspire Roosevelt to lead the United States into the war with the allied forces. Before each meeting, Churchill chose a hymn tune to be sung. Although we all know the outcome of the meetings wasn’t what Churchill had hoped for, it was the inspiration for Haney’s newest work for double bass and orchestra titled “Placentia Bay: Summer of 1941.” Woven into the score are the three hymn tunes, the pattern of morse code for Riviera and specific Newfoundland references that have particular meaning for Williams, the featured soloist.
Haney has created a work that is hauntingly beautiful, that showcases his colleagues throughout the OSO as they celebrate their 60th-anniversary season and that shines a spotlight on the artistry and virtuosity of his stand partner and friend Williams. This beautiful instrument that Haney has devoted his musical life to and which is so often relegated to holding down the foundation in music, will be given a chance to soar at the front of the stage.
For Haney, it’s as if all of his musical passions have come together to tell a magical story.
(Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York) (Taxi)
(Candy Girl)
Die Young, Better Dig Two)
(Dynasty)
(If I
(Wonder, Marley and Me, The Wedding Crashers)