Gordon Delamont

Delamont, Gordon
Gordon (Arthur) Delamont. Teacher, author, composer, trumpeter, b Moose Jaw, Sask, 27 Oct 1918, d Toronto 16 Jan 1981. Raised in Vancouver, he studied trumpet with his father, Arthur Delamont, and was soloist with the boys' band. He moved in 1939 to Toronto, where he played lead trumpet in dance bands and CBC radio orchestras. He also led a dance band 1945-9 that performed at the Club Top Hat, Toronto, and other southern Ontario halls.

After brief studies (arranging, composition, and pedagogy) in New York with Maury Deutsch in the summer of 1949, he opened his own studio in Toronto. He taught harmony, counterpoint, composition, and theory privately for more than 30 years, counting among his pupils Peter Appleyard, Saul Chapman, Gustav Ciamaga, Ron Collier, Jimmy Dale, John Dobson, David Elliott, Jack Feyer, Doug Foskett, Bill Goddard, Hagood Hardy, Herbie Helbig, Paul Hoffert, Lawrence House, Don Johnson, Eddie Karam, Moe Koffman, Rob McConnell, Ben McPeek, Marek Norman, Lloyd Orchard, Bernie Piltch, Mort Ross, Fred Stone, John Swan, Norman Symonds, and Rick Wilkins. Delamont's theoretical texts have been used in schools and by musicians throughout North America.

Delamont led a rehearsal band ca 1953-ca 1962 in order that his students might have an outlet for their compositions. In the 1960s he directed a jazz octet which performed for Ten Centuries Concerts and on the CBC.

A guiding figure in Canada in the third-stream movement which revolved around two of his earliest pupils, Collier and Symonds, Delamont himself composed several works applying classical forms to the jazz idiom. His compositions include Allegro and Blues (1962, for jazz orchestra), Portrait of Charles Mingus (1963, for octet), Ontario Suite (1965, Kendor 1967, a piece for soprano and orchestra performed daily at the Ontario Pavilion at Expo 67), Centum (Kendor 1966, for band), Collage No. 3 and Song and Dance (both 1967, Kendor 1970, recorded by the Ron Collier Orchestra with Duke Ellington as soloist), Moderato and Blues for Brass Quintet (1973, Kendor 1974), and Conversation for Flugelhorn and Alto Saxophone (Kendor 1977). His best-known work, Three Entertainments for Saxophone Quartet (1969, Kendor 1970), has been performed widely in North America and in Europe and was recorded by the New York Saxophone Quartet (Mark MES-32322).

Writings
'Jazz composition: a minority report,' Music Across Canada, Jun 1963

Modern Arranging Techniques (Delavan, NY 1965)

Modern Harmonic Techniques, 2 vols (Delavan, NY 1965)

Modern Contrapuntal Techniques (Delavan, NY 1969)

Modern Twelve-Tone Techniques (Delavan, NY 1973)

Modern Melodic Techniques (Delavan, NY 1976)

Delamont also contributed articles to Saturday Night, The Canadian Music Journal, jazz magazines, and newspapers

Author Helen McNamara

Bibliography

McNamara, Helen. 'Sweet music for a tone deaf Canada Council,' Toronto Telegram, 4 Oct 1969

'Gordon Delamont talks about teaching and music,' CanComp, 123, Sep 1977

Links to Other Sites
Historica-Dominion Institute
The website for the Historica-Dominion Institute, parent organization of The Canadian Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Check out their extensive online feature about the War of 1812, the "Heritage Minutes" video collection, and many other interactive resources concerning Canadian history, culture, and heritage.

Gordon Delamont
A brief profile of Gordon Delamont, composer, trumpeter, and educator. From the Kendor Music website.