The Etiquette (and rhetoric) of Dying

Composer/guitarist Ron Samworth has been a solid sonic contributor to Vancouver’s music scene for over four decades. He is also a survivor of stage 4 cancer and had borne close witness to the difficult and premature death of his sister from that same disease. Out of these searing personal experiences, as well as the rueful sense of absurdity derived from the ‘helpful’ hospice handbook describing the process of dying that he was given at his sister’s bedside, Ron evolved a 50-minute multimedia suite of music and text, The Etiquette of Dying, which will premiere at VIFF Centre.

As a preliminary experience, Secret Lantern Society invites you to The Etiquette (and rhetoric) of Dying, an intimate evening of excerpts illuminating the emotional, physical and spiritual nuances of dying. Ron, along with narrator Patti Wotherspoon, encourages participants to linger, ask questions, and explore our shared human relationship with mortality, hopefully encouraging continued discourse of this most mysterious conundrum.

Event Notes / Be Prepared:

• Tickets are available by sliding scale ($30-$50). Suggested admission: $35
• Doors open at 6:30 PM
• Space is limited to 25 participants
• Complimentary tea & cookies, with additional beverages for sale.

Your donation contributes directly to supporting our programming to continue ongoing learning and cultural sharing. We thank you for your support. If you have financial barriers preventing you from purchasing a ticket, please email admin@secretlantern.org and we will do our best to accommodate.

Facilitator Bio:

RON SAMWORTH, Vancouver guitarist, composer, improviser, and bandleader Ron Samworth is probably well-known to anyone who has made a habit of attending major Canadian jazz or creative music festivals from the mid-'90s onward. As a collaborative leader and principal composer of Talking Pictures, Ron also co-lead the acclaimed NOW Orchestra. He is know to Canadian audiences for his provocative collaborations with groups such as Lunar Adventures and the 1990 CBC National Jazz Competition winners Creatures of Habit. His improvised sound explorations with poets and dancers included ongoing involvement with the EDAM Dance company, and Samworth's playing credits include Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, George Lewis, Wayne Horvitz, Butch Morris, Bobby Previte, Vinny Golia, Jay Clayton, Rene Lussier, and electro-acoustic composer Paul Doldern. He has composed for the Hard Rubber Orchestra, Standing Wave, the NOW Orchestra, and various film and theatre projects and was the founding co-artistic director of the creative music collective New Orchestra Workshop (NOW). He currently teaches Jazz Studies at the School of Performing Arts at Capilano University.

Secret Headquarters is gratefully situated on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. We honor, respect, and give thanks to our hosts.