JAZZ Concerto for Organ & Orchestra had its US premiere at Salt Lake City Utah in the Mormon Tabernacle’s Temple Square Conference Centre. 

Richard Elliott, Principal Tabernacle Organist, played the 4th Movement, Hot Pipes (Ragging the Pipes!) on one of the largest and best sounding organs in the world, conducted by Musical Director Mack Wilberg as part of their Pioneer Commemoration Concert, July 18-19, 2014, at 8:00 p.m.

Hot Pipes (Ragging The Pipes!) The organ and orchestra play an unabashedly “hot” ragtime tune, exchanging many tried and true ragtime licks, each more fancy than the last until, challenged by the organ, each section of the orchestra has a four bar “break” to show off their virtuosity and to try to outshine the organ. But the organ has the final word in the cadenza. However, at the end of the cadenza, the organ starts a new slow Dixieland tune under high tremolo strings. It’s a Dixieland band coming home, triumphant, from the graveyard in New Orleans. Clarinet, trumpet, trombone, drums, and tuba are added in succession building layers through a series of key changes, until organ and orchestra wail out this tune in a joyous rousing climax. At the penultimate moment, the organ bursts forth with the “hot” ragtime tune from the start of the movement, the orchestra joins in, and all play the Dixieland tune one more time at full tilt, then suddenly stop. The organ offers a slight tongue in cheek comment with the challenge theme, then all play a final raucous ragtime punch line to end.

More about Jazz Concerto for Organ & Orchestra

Performance Score

Victor’s Concerto for Tubameister & Orchestra with tubaist Raul Rodrigues, and David Oertel conducting his Starlight Symphony Orchestra.

“Playful heartfelt & moving”

Lily Pad Productions is delighted to announce that Victor Davies has been awarded the Order of Canada today. Read More →

“Presenting the jazzy side of our eminent Canadian composer Victor Davies”! featuring Maxine Willan and The Swinging Strings: Colours of Jazz, Art Deco Fantasy, Silhouettes and more Read More →

The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces’ (Ottawa) Commanding Officer Major Dave Shaw, commissioned eight new arrangements of Victor’s music from the Pan Am and Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies for concert band.  The CFB performed Welcome The Champions as they greeted “Soldier On Afghanistan Team” at Ottawa City Hall, May 8th; on Parliament Hill, National Day of Honour Parade May 9th, and will play The Spirit of Canada June 15th at the Canada Aviation & Space Museum.

Major Dave Shaw played the ceremonies music for the Pan Am Games in 1999, which Victor wrote.  In his new role as Conductor of The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces he remembered the success of this music and commissioned new arrangements for band for government ceremonial occasions.  The Band is the ensemble which plays the majority of music for government events, and is unique in that it is not only a band but also includes a string quartet!  Rarely heard as a complete unit, this outstanding ensemble supplies groups of every size for many occasions large and small, doing up to 500 events each year for ceremonies, marches, state dinners, concerts, and veteran’s events of every kind.

Welcome the Champions
Spirit of Canada

Our first meeting with Tanya Ryga about the opera rights to George Ryga’s play, The Ecstasy Of Rita Joe.

A reading of the libretto for The Ecstasy Of Rita Joe (an opera), (adapted by Victor Davies from George Ryga’s play), was given a very successful workshop organized by Guillermo Silva Marin through Opera In Concert on May 11, 2014. With dramaturgy by Heather Davies, performers Laura McAlpine, Stefan Fehr, Gregory Finney, Elizabeth Beeler, Virginia Reh, Domenico Sanfilippo, Henry Ingram, and Guillermo Silva-Marin, generously brought the text to life and showed the exciting possibilities for the work.

For many years my dear friends John Juliani and August Schellenberg urged me to write an opera based on The Ecstasy Of Rita Joe.  After composing the music for the CBC radio adaptation of the play, I began to think that it might be possible.  Although now 47 years old, the issues and situations in the play are still very much alive.  A tragic love story about two young aboriginal people in the city, the text of the play is powerfully evocative, poetic, with vibrant alive characters.  The play is known throughout the world and is credited with being the first major Canadian play. In its premiere in Vancouver Francis Hyland played Rita Joe, August Shellenberg was Jaimie Paul, and Chief Dan George played Rita Joe’s father. The opera’s development continues…

Now the 3rd smash production (2008, 2015, 2019)

Toronto Operetta Theatre announces Earnest, The Importance Of Being for next season – April 30, May 1, 2, 3, 2015!  TOT reprises Davies’ and Benson’s delightful operetta that brought audiences to their feet in their February 2008 production.

About Earnest, The Importance of Being

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A new band arrangement commissioned by The Bromley (London UK) Concert Band premiered March 1, 2014. Butterfly Dance is a movement from Davies’ Good Times: Suite for orchestra Butterfly Dance is a well known piece in the UK on Classic FM, Britain’s largest classical radio station.

Listen to Orchestra Version
Listen to Band Version (coming soon!)