The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1982, Síða 10

8
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER, 1982
Ric has always taken a keen interest in
community concerns, community club, and
church — Messiah Lutheran Church in
Westwood (he served as the founding sec-
retary and still serves as treasurer).
In 1974 Ric accepted the challenge and
stood for election and for the next seven
years served as the Winnipeg City Coun-
cillor for the St. Charles ward. Again in
1981 he accepted a further challenge and
successfully contested the Provincial seat
for the constituency of Assiniboia and sits
as the only M.L.A. of Icelandic extraction.
* * *
PEARL PALMASON
RETIRES FROM TSO
by Ruby Dawson
Pearl Palmason, vio-
linist, retired from the
Toronto Symphony Or-
chestra last August after
40 years. Her last per-
formance with the or-
chestra was at Ontario
Place, where she was
the featured artist and
was presented with a
water colour painting of Massey Hall.
The “International Who’s Who In
Music’’ states: “PALMASON, Pearl, b. 2
Oct. 1915, Winnipeg, Canada. Violinist.
Educ.: studied w. Elie Spivak & Kathleen
Parlow, Royal Conserv. of Music,
Toronto; w. Carl Flesch, London, 1938-39;
w. Dr. Demetrius Dounis, N.Y., 1947-48;
A.T.C.M.; L.R.S.M. Debut Town Hall,
N.Y., 1948. Career: Has played solo
appearances in recital or w. orchs. in
Winnipeg, Toronto, & throughout Ont.,
N.Y., London & Iceland; Mbr. for years
Toronto Symph.: Mbr. Hart House
Chamber Orch. cond. by Boyd Neel; Has
played in Europe, Canada & U.S.A. w.
Toronto Symph. & Hart House Chamber
Orch. Mbr. Toronto Heliconian Club.
Hons.: Silver Medals, Toronto Conserv. of
Music, 1928, ’29, ’31; Scholarship 1934;
Aiken’s Meml. Trophy, Man. Music Fest.,
1932. Hobbies: Swimming. Address: 40
Maxwell Ave., Toronto, M59 2B5,
Canada.”
Pearl has also been to China and Japan
with the T.S.O.
She was the daughter of Sveinn and Groa
Palmason of Winnipeg. Our father was a
building contractor.
One thinks of the ‘Tickle finger of fate”.
In 1939 (war had broken out) when Pearl
had completed her two years’ study with
Carl Flesch in England, she booked pas-
sage on the Athenia, wired home for
money which did not arrive in time, and
she “missed the boat”. The Athenia was
sunk on that voyage. Fortunately our
cousin Sveinn Ingvarsson, of Iceland
(named Sveinn Erlendur after his two
uncles who went to America), happened to
be in London at the time and was able to
book her on the Oslofjord, a new ship sail-
ing from Norway to New York. The
Oslofjord was sunk a month later.
This brings to mind another story.
Around the turn of the century our uncle
Ingvar Palmason decided to join his two
brothers in America, via a ship from
Norway. He also “missed the boat”, re-
turned to Iceland to become Member of
Parliament for 22 years, and in 1944 when
Iceland declared Independence from Den-
mark and became a Republic, he was the
one who delivered the speech on that
momentous occasion.
Our late brother Palmi Palmason, violin-
ist and teacher, played a very important
role in Pearl’s life. It was under his teach-
ing that she won silver medals for the
highest marks in Canada, and also the two-
year scholarship with the Toronto Con-
servatory. To the end he was her best
friend, confidante and mentor. Palmi was