[Ken Gray] As I continue my own healing and reconciliation journey both in church and in community I was so pleased to stumble across a Facebook post from critically acclaimed and award-winning mezzo-soprano Marian Newman. As I preside today at an Anglican service here in Summerland honouring Indigenous Peoples Day I will share some of... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton // Sunday June 7, 2026 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray I am sure that Archdeacon Peter (O'Flynn) and I have both struggled on occasion to find just the right sermon topic. At times, there are far too many options. Today is a good... Continue Reading →
This story was originally published by Grist and later in the National Observer appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration [Naveena Sadasivam for the National Observer] About six years ago, law students at the University of the South Pacific convinced the government of the small island nation of Vanuatu to take the harms... Continue Reading →
I have a long relationship with the Requiem by French composer Gabriel Faure. Unlike the bombastic operatic showpiece by Verdi, the intensely dramatic rendering by Mozart, or the massive work by Benjamin Britten, Faureโs Requiem is intimate, melodic, of small scale, and sublime. It whispers, though never shouts. Surely we all want to drift off... Continue Reading →
Driving School' was shot by Fred Herzog in 1959. Photo courtesy Equinox Gallery/Estate of Fred Herzog Brendan Kergin at Vancouver is Awesome.com A Colour Legacy is the name of a recently published book and incoming exhibit celebrating Vancouver's most famous street photographer. Later this month, the show will open in Vancouver with more than 60... Continue Reading →
May 8, 2026 - Review published on NPR Fresh Air by Justin Chang Some movies will forever change the way you look at plants. Unsurprisingly, many of them are thrillers and science-fiction films, like Little Shop of Horrors, The Day of the Triffids, or, more recently, the mind-controlling flower freakout Little Joe. You could probably... Continue Reading →
Josh Dawson - May 1, 2026 / Castanet // Photo: Castanet Kamloops photographer Jess Beaudin poses for a photo while setting up her exhibit at at the Old Courthouse at 7 Seymour Street West. Sagebrush, chokecherries, shells and salt water are all you need to develop film, thanks to a new process created by Kamloops... Continue Reading →
First published on Facebook [Phil Dwyer] When I was a youngster, my parents attended many local dances, and I heard repeatedly about how great a dance band Bill Cave and "The Cavemen" was. When I was in grade 7, Bill took over the music program at what was then Qualicum Middle School. From day one,... Continue Reading →
What is it about a painting? One image in two dimensions, a snapshot in this age of streamers โ how can it compete for our attention? One answer could be the simple fact of genius compressed into a frame. The quote above, from a newsletter from The Observer, has me thinking about the photographic task,... Continue Reading →
"The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band embodies defiant beauty." - San Francisco Classical Voice "Julia Keefe came on with her big band and completely blew the roof off of the venueโฆ" - Aisha Ahmad-Post, Newman Center for the Performing Arts Band Statement: Indigenous jazz musicians, ensembles, and big bands have their place in the contemporary... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 